The Twilight Ed
by Scary Spikender
Summary: Thirteen strange tales from a plane beyond our own. The kids of Peach Creek will never be the same after stumbling into... The Twilight Zone.
1. Jimmy: The Other Me

**Author's Note: **_Hello once again everyone, this is Scary Spikender back with a story... or, rather, a collection of stories this time. After Forfeit, I took a bit of a break and wrote two short stories, but this is my next major project. And as a disclaimer, most of these stories will take place in a period before BPS, so the character's relations are as they were before the movie. With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoy the first chapter of... The Twilight Ed. *Television Static*__  
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* * *

_You unlock this door with the key of imagination, beyond it is another dimension..._

_... a dimension of sound..._

_... a dimension of sight..._

_... a dimension of mind._

_You are moving into a land of both shadow and substance..._

_... of things and ideas._

_You've just crossed over into..._

_The Twilight Zone._

* * *

Jimmy pulled his light blue sweater over his head, relishing the feel of the soft cotton as he wormed his body up and into the sweater, pulling his arms into the sleeves and his head through the collar, although his retainer made this feat quite difficult. He then stepped away from his closet and walked over to a full body mirror that was beside it, and began to study himself, making sure every detail of his body was up to standards. He admired his hair for a few moments, and then admired his freshly pressed clothes, as well as his delicate skin. Feeling that he was ready to go out and face the world, he stepped away from the mirror and started for the door of his room.

_Jimmy, age eight, lives a cozy and spoiled life in the small town of Peach Creek. A self-described poet and artist, Jimmy feels like he is a shining jewel in a sea of rough cut rocks. He views himself as a unique child, one who is a step above everyone else. And as Jimmy sets out for another day of playful distractions with his friends, he will find that this particular day will also be quite unique, perhaps even more than he thinks he is in his own mind. And it is his mind that will be put to the test as this day plays out to its end._

Jimmy opened the front door of his house and stepped out into the hot summer day, shielding his eyes a little from the bright, beaming light of the sun. As his eyes adjusted to the sunlight, he spotted his usual companions out in the middle of the cul-de-sac: Kevin was riding his bike, showing off to Nazz, Rolf, Jonny, and Sarah, who all stood in a line and watched with amusement from the sidelines as they cheered him on. Jimmy, not wanting to be left out of the fun, quickly shut his front door behind him and began to walk toward the group of his friends, who had not yet noticed his presence. "Hey, what's going on?" Jimmy asked Sarah as he stepped beside her.

"Oh, Kevin's just showing off, as usual," Sarah muttered, although she said it in more of a playful tone rather than a malicious one. Sarah, Jimmy, and the others then looked on as Kevin did a wheelie as he rode by.

"Go Kevin!" Nazz cheered out in encouragement as she clapped her hands together a few times.

"Daredevil-Kevin, Rolf bets that you cannot do that on the front wheel of your riding doohickey!" Rolf shouted as Kevin came back around on his bike.

"Ha, I can do that in my sleep!" Kevin bragged as he rode by. He then carefully propelled his bike onto its front wheel, and began to ride slowly around on it.

"Holy cow, Plank, Kevin sure is good on that bike of his," Jonny said to Plank as he looked down at the hunk of wood he held in his hands.

"Indeed, Jonny the wood boy! Rolf has not seen such tricks since he saw the town fool hop on one wheel on a goat cart for ten miles in Rolf's old country," Rolf proclaimed as he looked down at Jonny. Kevin brought his bike back down to two wheels and then rode around in a circle; he then skidded to a halt in front of the group.

"You sure do know some weird people, Rolf," Kevin joked.

"Laugh all you want, but Rolf assures you he could teach Hotshot Kevin a thing or two about the art of the goat cart," Rolf answered, causing Kevin to chuckle.

"Tricks on a goat cart?" Kevin asked in a humorous tone. "Heck, I'd pay to see that!" he quipped.

"Then follow Rolf to his backyard and behold the power of the goat cart!" Rolf exclaimed as he motioned for everyone to follow him to his house.

"I gotta see this..." Kevin said as he rode slowly behind Rolf on his bike.

"Wait up guys!" Nazz shouted after them as she ran after the two boys.

"Hey, Plank, didn't you meet a cart once?" Jonny asked Plank as he followed the group toward Rolf's house. Sarah began to follow Rolf and the others, but Jimmy grabbed hold of her sleeve, stopping her in her tracks and causing her to turn around to face him.

"What's wrong, Jimmy? Dontcha wanna see Rolf mess up and get hurt?" Sarah questioned as she flashed him a devious smile.

"No," Jimmy answered. "Well... okay, I do, but I was thinking that we could go and play something together instead," he suggested.

"Like what?" Sarah asked as she crossed her arms.

"I got a new set of builder blocks that we could play with!" Jimmy answered enthusiastically. "And this one comes with some cute little construction workers too!" Sarah seemed to ponder the suggestion for a moment, a skeptical look plastered on her face. After a few seconds, however, her lips slowly formed a smile.

"Oh, alright, but I better get some of those construction workers," Sarah said as she took Jimmy by the hand. They then walked lazily toward Jimmy's house, the two of them talking with much fervor about their plans for the day.

* * *

"What a lovely house you have, m'am," Jimmy said in a gruff voice as he held an action figure in his hand, which was made in the likeness of a soldier. He held the soldier in front of a little house that Sarah had built out of his builder's blocks; the house was quite impressive, being a foot tall.

"Why thank you, Mister Soldier," Sarah said as she made one of her dolls walk out from beside the house. She suddenly brought a little plastic construction worker around the other side of the house. "Hey, don't you talk to my girl like that!" She said in a low, tough voice as she brought the construction worker up to the soldier in a threatening manner.

"What are you gonna do about it, little man!" Jimmy shot back in his gruff voice as he made his soldier move toward the construction worker, who was much shorter than his action figure.

"Oh boys, please don't fight over me!" Sarah cried out in as she made her doll step forward and get in between the two fighting toys.

"Alright, but you're lucky she was here to save you," Jimmy answered in his tough voice. "I gotta go back to the war anyway," he said before making the soldier walk over to a toy tank. He stuck the soldier in an open hatch on the top of it and then grabbed hold of the back of the tank. "Off to war!" he cried before pushing the tank hard, which caused it to slide across the floor and into a bunch of builder's blocks he had stacked; they tumbled downwards as the tank crashed through them. Jimmy and Sarah cheered and laughed as the tank left the blocks and hit the wall with a thud. Jimmy hopped to his feet and then ran over to retrieve the tank, and Sarah sat up looked over at him as he went about his task.

"We should try and see how high we can stack these bricks, Jimmy," Sarah suggested as Jimmy reached down and grabbed the toy tank. He then looked over at Sarah and flashed her a smile.

"I bet we could make them reach the ceiling!" he answered as he walked back over to their play area.

"Alright, let me just take apart this house and-" Sarah began but was quickly interrupted when there were a series of knocks at Jimmy's door. Sarah looked up at Jimmy, who had a clueless expression on his face.

"I better go see who that is..." he said as he walked toward his living room. Sarah hopped to her feet and then quickly followed behind him, curious to see who could be coming to see Jimmy. The two of them crept into the living room, not wanting to make a sound. They then walked quietly over to the window, and Jimmy moved the blinds a little to the side to see who was at the door, Sarah peeking through with him. They both let out disgusted sighs when they spotted three familiar boys standing on Jimmy's porch, the shortest one with a scowl on his face.

"Oh great..." Sarah muttered as she and Jimmy stepped away from the window and stood in Jimmy's living room.

"What do you think they want, Sarah?" Jimmy asked, looking to his friend for suggestions.

"It's probably just another stupid scam... we should just go back and play," Sarah suggested.

"But what if it's something important?" Jimmy asked.

"Oh, sure, it's probably something_ real_ important. Eddy probably has some stupid cheap thing he and his stupid friends made that they're trying to sell," Sarah explained. "If you want to be their sucker, then be my guest." Jimmy looked from her to his door, and then back to her again.

"You're probably right..." he answered. "Let's just go back to my room and-"

"Open up you jerk!" Eddy suddenly cried through Jimmy's door as he began to pound on it, causing Jimmy to jump in fright. Sarah's expression suddenly turned sour, and she began to march toward Jimmy's door.

"Why that little..." Sarah muttered in anger as she continued to walk toward Jimmy's door, obviously ticked.

"Ooo, they're gonna get it now!" Jimmy whispered to himself eagerly; he always enjoyed it when the Eds were about to get smashed into pieces, especially if it was by his friend Sarah.

"Don't make me use Ed as a battering ram!" Eddy called through the door as he pounded on it a few more times.

"Eddy, perhaps he didn't come back to his house," Edd suggested as he laid his hand on Eddy's shoulder.

"Yeah right! That coward probably ran back here, his tail tucked between his legs, and locked himself in his room!" Eddy answered in a resolute voice before smacking Edd's hand off of his shoulder.

"Jimmy has a tail?" Ed asked stupidly as his eyes lit up. Ed then stepped toward the door and shouted, "Come out Jimmy so I can see your tail!" Edd couldn't help but smack himself in the forehead at Ed's stupidity while Eddy giggled uncontrollably next to him. The door suddenly swung open to reveal a fuming Sarah, causing the Eds to jump backwards

"What the- Sarah?" Eddy said in surprise as the red-faced girl stood before them, her fists balled up at her sides.

"What do you three want?" Sarah shouted in anger at them as Jimmy watched in amusement from behind her.

"Get out of our way, Sarah!" Eddy shot back as he stepped toward her; Edd stepped behind Ed, fearing that Eddy would set her off.

"Why should I, fish face?" she yelled back as she locked eyes with Eddy, whose face was inches from hers.

"Cause I said so, you little brat!" Eddy barked as his scowl grew deeper.

"Brat, huh?" she asked in a deep, malicious tone as a devious smile crept across her face. Eddy's eyes suddenly widened and he stepped backwards.

"Wait, I didn't mean-" Sarah suddenly grabbed Eddy by his lips and yanked him inside, slamming him on Jimmy's floor.

"Get him, Sarah!" Jimmy cheered as she pulled Eddy to his feet in front of her. He stumbled around, dazed from the slam. Sarah lifted her fist up, ready to sock Eddy right in the jaw, but Edd suddenly grabbed her arm.

"Wait, Sarah! I implore you to stop this!" Edd pleaded as he hung on to Sarah's arm for dear life, making sure that she couldn't finish the job.

"Hey, he started it!" she answered as she glared angrily up at Edd. Eddy suddenly snapped out of his daze and grabbed his head with his hand.

"My achin'..." Eddy muttered as Sarah began to calm down.

"Fine, but you all better get out or I'll make all three of you wish you were never born," she threatened as she ripped her arm from Edd's grip; Eddy retreated to the side of his friends, but it was obvious he wasn't done just yet.

"No way!" Eddy answered, although his entire body still ached from Sarah's assault. "That brat trashed our scam!" he cried as he pointed accusingly at Jimmy, who donned a confused look on his face. Before Jimmy could defend himself, however, Sarah spoke up.

"Yeah right! Jimmy was here the whole time playing with me!" Sarah shouted; now it was Eddy's turn to be confused.

"What? But we saw that jerk pulverize our stand!" Eddy countered. "We walked away for a minute to go get some supplies, and when we came back, we saw Jimmy run away from our stand, which was completely destroyed!" Eddy explained. Sarah looked over at Jimmy, who still seemed clueless as to what was going on. Sarah looked back at the Eds, anger renewed within her.

"You're lying!" Sarah shouted before violently shoving Eddy, sending him sailing through the front door and out of the house.

"Oh dear!" Edd cried as he ran outside after Eddy to check if he was okay. Sarah then turned her attention to Ed, who was scared witless by the entire ordeal.

"Please don't hurt me, baby sister!" Ed pleaded as Sarah stared up at him with a furious look on her face.

"If you don't want me to pound you into the dirt, then you better take your stupid friends out of here, Ed," Sarah said quickly as Ed nodded.

"Roger that!" Ed answered before running outside.

"Eddy, are you alright?" Edd asked as he helped Eddy to his feet.

"Yeah, I think so- Whoa!" Eddy cried as he and Edd were grabbed by the arms by Ed.

"Away we go!" Ed shouted as he dragged Edd and Eddy away from Jimmy's house, the two of them shouting and protesting as Ed pulled them roughly across the pavement of the cul-de-sac. Sarah and Jimmy watched them through the window as Ed ran away, Edd and Eddy in tow. Once they were out of sight, the two of them retreated back into Jimmy's house.

"What was that all about, Jimmy?" Sarah asked, wanting answers now that the Eds were out of their hair. Jimmy looked at her, the confused look still on his face.

"I have no idea..." Jimmy began as the two of them started back for Jimmy's room. "I think maybe the Eds were just lying." Sarah nodded in agreement as they walked into Jimmy's room.

"Yeah, it's just like those idiots to lie like that..." Sarah muttered as they walked over to their play area, where their toys still laid. "But let's forget about those numbskulls and get back to having fun," she suggested as she and Jimmy sat down beside their toys and began to disassemble the house that she had built.

* * *

"Wee!" Jimmy shouted as he and Sarah swung back and forth on the swings of the playground, the metal chains grinding as they swished past the ground at the low point of each swing.

"Ready?" Sarah asked as she and Jimmy simultaneously swung backwards.

"Let's do it!" Jimmy yelled in delight as each of their swings moved forward. As their swings reached the top of their path, Sarah and Jimmy jumped off of the swings and landed roughly on the ground. Although each of them was roughed up a little by their landing, they didn't mind and actually began to laugh in joy as they stood up and dusted themselves off.

"Ready to go again, Jimmy?" Sarah asked as she walked back toward the swings. She stopped, however, when she realized that Jimmy was just staring off into the distance, unmoving and unresponsive. "Jimmy?" She asked in a low voice, a bit scared by the boy's sudden silence. He suddenly looked up at her, whatever trance that he was in suddenly broken.

"Sorry, Sarah... I was just thinking about something," he admitted as he began to walk toward the swings with her.

"What were you thinking about?" Sarah asked as the two of them mounted their respective swings.

"I was just thinking about what happened earlier... you know, with the Eds..." he answered apprehensively, a bit worried about what Sarah's reaction would be to him bringing it up.

"Come on, you're letting the Eds get to you like that?" Sarah asked as the two of them began to swing, a little bit of anger in her voice.

"I know, I know..." Jimmy responded as the two of them swung back and forth. "I shouldn't let them bother me... but they seemed like they were serious." Sarah looked away from him for a moment as they reached the apex of their swing and then went back down, and then looked back at him.

"I don't know, maybe they were just looking for someone to blame because their dumb scam failed," Sarah put forth, her anger receding back within her.

"Maybe..." Jimmy trailed off as they continued to swing. He didn't know what to make of the Eds and their accusations. Obviously whoever they saw wasn't him, but it made him worry that perhaps someone was trying to frame him for something he didn't do. He shook off these thoughts as he and Sarah readied themselves for another jump.

"Alright, here we go again!" Sarah cried as their swings began to move forward into the high point of their swing. "Oh crap!" she suddenly winced as she stopped herself from jumping and began to wind down the swing, Jimmy doing the same.

"What's wrong?" he asked as Sarah hopped off of her swing.

"Mom asked me to record her favorite show for her this morning while she was shopping..." Sarah said, a bit of worry in her voice. Jimmy got off of his swing carefully and then stepped over to her.

"You could always just blame Ed for making you forget," Jimmy suggested, causing Sarah to smirk a little.

"Yeah, I could..." Sarah said quietly as she rubbed her chin. "But I don't think she's back yet... maybe I can still catch a little bit of the end of it..." she muttered to herself as she thought about it.

"Well, we could always run back to your house and see if we can get some of the show on tape," Jimmy suggested.

"Alright, but it's only going to take a second, and I still want to play on the swings some more... so how about I go run back to my house and pop the tape in, while you stay here and wait for me?" Sarah recommended as she looked thoughtfully at Jimmy.

"I guess that's fine..." Jimmy responded, although he really did want to go with her. "Just hurry back, okay?"

"You got it!" Sarah answered as she began to run off toward the cul-de-sac. "Just don't have too much fun without me!" she shouted back to Jimmy as she passed through the fence that separated the playground from the street and ran up the sidewalk. Jimmy sighed contently as he walked back over to the swings and sat down. He began to swing back and forth slightly as he stared at the neighborhood around him. For a few moments, he enjoyed the peaceful ambiance of the summer day, relishing the bright sun, green grass, and sounds of lawn mowers revving up and birds chirping in the trees. But those sounds were suddenly punctured by a loud, intimidating voice that Jimmy knew all too well.

"Hey, there's that creampuff now!" someone shouted from down the street in a high-pitched voice. Jimmy turned around and almost fell off of the swing in fright at the three people he spotted: it was the Kanker sisters. Worst of all, they all seemed to be extremely furious, their faces scrunched up in anger and absent of their usual playful smirks.

"Oh no!" Jimmy cried as he hopped off of his swing and hit the ground running.

"Come back here, you little punk!" Lee yelled as they hopped the playground fence and began to sprint after him.

"Leave me alone!" Jimmy yelled as he ran out of the playground and into the street, his feet pounding on the pavement as the Kankers pursued him, closing in on him every second. Houses swished passed him as he worked his little legs furiously in a hopeless attempt to outrun his pursuers. Jimmy wanted to try and run back toward the cul-de-sac, but he'd have to circle around and get past the Kankers to do so; right now he was running into parts of the neighborhood he hadn't even been to.

"I've got him!" May called out; she was mere feet behind him, her arm extended toward Jimmy, ready to grab him by his collar. Jimmy dived over someone's fence and landed face first in the dirt and grass, which stained his clothes with smears of brown and green. He hopped to his feet and tried to keep running, but May dived over the fence after him and landed on top of him, knocking him back down onto the ground where she pinned him face down by his arms and legs. Marie and Lee quickly hopped over the fence and walked over to the helpless Jimmy, who couldn't move a muscle.

"Alright, kid, now cough it up!" Marie shouted as she and Lee stood on either side of immobilized boy. Jimmy, whose face was stuffed down into the grass, said something in a muffled voice that none of the Kankers could understand.

"For crying out loud- May, lift the bum up," Lee requested. May got off of Jimmy but then grabbed him by his collar and yanked him to his feet. She then shoved him into Lee, who grabbed hold of him by the front of his shirt.

"Please don't hurt me!" Jimmy cried as he stared with wide eyes at Lee's face. "I'll give you all of my money!" he offered as he reached down into his pants and began to dig around for his wallet.

"I don't want your stupid money, kid!" Lee shouted in Jimmy's face, causing him to shake with terror and pull his hand out of his pocket. "Now, give back our ship-inna-bottle or I'll stuff your mouth full of my fist!" she threatened as she balled up her fist and held it inches from Jimmy's face. Much to her surprise, Jimmy's face changed from one to fear to one of confusion.

"Your... your what?" Jimmy asked as he looked up at the fuming girl.

"Whaddya mean what?" Lee yelled at him, causing him to shrink backwards. "You snatched our ship-inna-bottle, and now you're gonna give it back!" Jimmy suddenly realized what was going on; someone had once again stolen the Kankers' precious ship-inna-bottle, although this time they had come straight to him instead of destroying the entire cul-de-sac.

"But it wasn't me!" Jimmy protested. "It was probably the Eds again!" he suggested.

"Don't try to trick us kid, I saw you run off with it!" Marie pointed out. Jimmy couldn't believe what he just heard, but these accusations were eerily similar to another trio who had come knocking at his door not an hour before...

"Got nothing to say, huh?" Lee questioned as she shook Jimmy by the collar, causing him to snap out of his thoughts. "Then I guess you got a first class ticket to painville, little man..." she trailed off as she readied herself to punch him right in the face.

"Wait, I can prove I don't have it!" Jimmy pleaded as he shielded his face with his hands. Lee halted her assault for a moment.

"Is that so?" Lee asked as she lowered her fist.

"Oh, come on, Lee, I saw him take it!" Marie protested as she stepped forward.

"Sure you did, but what's the harm in humoring this chump?" Lee answered as she let go of Jimmy's shirt, letting him drop down to the ground. "Now then, twerp, how are you gonna prove to us that you didn't take our ship-inna-bottle?" she questioned as she and her sisters stood around him, staring down at him accusingly. He almost couldn't speak at first, fear choking up his throat and mind, but he eventually thought of an appropriate answer.

"We'll go back to my house, and I'll show you that I don't have your bottle," Jimmy proposed.

At first Lee seemed skeptical of Jimmy's offer, but then she finally shrugged and said, "Fine, lead the way." Jimmy sighed with relief and began to walk back toward the cul-de-sac, but Lee quickly caught him by the shoulder and whirled him around. "But if we get to your house and we find our ship-inna-bottle, I'll choke you till you're blue in the face with that stupid retainer of yours, got it?" she threatened as she slit her eyes at Jimmy. He nodded quickly, prompting Lee to let go of his shoulder. With that, the four of them began their journey back to the cul-de-sac, Jimmy praying with all his heart that the ship-inna-bottle would still be missing in action after searching his house.

* * *

"See, I told you we wouldn't find it," Jimmy said with much relief to the Kankers, who all stood in the middle of his room scratching their heads. Although he had to painfully watch as the Kankers tore apart every inch of his room in search of their prized possession, he was happy to see that they couldn't find any trace of their ship-inna-bottle.

"Dang, I could've sworn it was him..." Marie muttered as she eyed Jimmy suspiciously.

"Yeah, well you were wrong, as usual," Lee derided, causing Marie to glare at her angrily. "Now let's get out of here and see if any of those other chumps have it..." she said as she turned to her sisters.

"I vote we try Ed's house first!" May suggested, obviously wanting to pay a visit to her object of affection.

"And what makes you think he'll have it?" Marie asked as she crossed her arms.

"Well-" May suddenly stopped mid-answer when she spotted an anomaly on Jimmy's wall. "Hey, what's that?" she said as she pointed out a piece of wallpaper that was hanging loosely. Lee, Marie, and Jimmy all turned their attention to the wall.

"It's called a wall, idio-," Marie began to answer snidely, although Lee suddenly stuffed her hand in her mouth, silencing her.

"Wait a minute, May might be onto something here," Lee said as she stepped toward the wall, removing her hand from Marie's mouth. Jimmy looked on with a mix of confusion and fear as Lee stepped up to the wall to study it further. He didn't know why, but his heart began to pound furiously. He knew he didn't steal their ship-inna-bottle. He had been playing with Sarah all day, and unless some cosmic force had made him black out while he performed this act of thievery, he knew it was impossible for him to have stolen anything from the Kankers. Lee grabbed hold of the loose piece of wallpaper and then pulled it a little, and found that it easily slipped away. As she tore back the wallpaper, her eyes lit up when she saw that the wallpaper concealed a hole in the wall.

"What is it, Lee?" May asked, curious as to what she had found. Jimmy backed up a little, his heart pounding harder and harder against his chest. He knew he didn't steal the ship-inna-bottle, but now Lee had found some sort of hole in his wall that he didn't even know about. He began to wonder, with great fear, if someone had framed him and hid the ship-inna-bottle in that hole. He watched in terror as Lee groped around in the hole a little bit before grabbing hold of something.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here..." Lee taunted as she began to pull her arm out of the hole. Jimmy's heart reached full speed; it felt like a jackhammer was in his chest. When Lee's hand finally came out of the hole, he couldn't help but let out a little shriek of terror: in Lee's hand was the ship-inna-bottle. Lee looked over at the terrified boy, who was literally trembling with horror, and gave him a smug smile. "Oh, what _great_ proof that you don't have it, kid," she mocked as she tossed the ship-inna-bottle to Marie, who held it up for everyone to see.

"Yeah, I guess this is just some _other_ ship-inna-bottle, right?" Marie suggested as she looked over at Jimmy, who was sweating bullets.

"Now what was that I was saying before about choking you with your retainer..." Lee pondered aloud as she cracked her knuckles. Jimmy backed off toward his window as the Kankers began to close in around him. He knew he was screwed. Someone had framed him for this and now he was going to get all the blame, as well as the pain, for the misdeed.

"Please, I didn't do it! Someone framed me!" Jimmy cried as the distance between him and the Kankers shrunk rapidly.

"Jimmy, where are you?" Jimmy heard Sarah call from outside. He couldn't help but turn around and look outside of his window; he spotted Sarah walking around the cul-de-sac, obviously searching for him. Jimmy, panicked and scared, knew that this might be his only chance for salvation. He unlatched his window and swung it open.

"What the heck is he doing?" May asked as she and her sisters watched Jimmy stand up on the windowsill.

"He's trying to get away!" Lee shouted. "Get him!" Lee, Marie, and May leaped forward in an attempt to catch Jimmy before he could escape, but they just barely missed him as he jumped out of his window and fell into the summer air. He could feel a brief second of air blowing past him before the ground rushed up to meet him. He cried out in agony, feeling like every fiber of his body was screaming with pain. He knew he had to ignore it, however; the Kankers likely wouldn't be too far behind him. He climbed to his feet and began to run across his yard.

"Sarah, I'm over here!" Jimmy called out as he stumbled across his yard. Sarah turned around and spotted Jimmy, who looked like a nervous wreck to her.

"Jimmy, where were you?" she asked him as he reached her and stumbled into her arms.

"We've gotta run, Sarah!" Jimmy pleaded as he grabbed her by the arm and tried to get her to run away with him.

"Why?" she asked, confused.

"That's why!" he yelled frantically as he pointed behind her. Sarah whirled around to see the Kankers burst through Jimmy's front door and come running towards them.

"Holy cow!" she screamed before bolting across the cul-de-sac, Jimmy right beside her.

"Come back here, you lying little twerp!" Marie shouted from behind them.

"Why are they after you?" Sarah asked Jimmy as the two of them ran for dear life towards the woods, where they hoped they could escape their pursuers.

"The Kankers think I stole their ship-inna-bottle, and now they're trying to hurt me!" Jimmy answered. Sarah and Jimmy crashed into the brush at the edge of the woods and began to run haphazardly through the foliage, narrowly dodging trees and vines as they did so. They heard the Kankers enter the woods not too far behind them, and they could hear them shouting and cursing as they continued their pursuit. "We've got to hide, Sarah!" Jimmy cried as they continued to sprint through the woods. Sarah spotted some bushes next to a tree up ahead, and, thinking quickly, began to lead Jimmy toward them.

"In here, Jimmy!" Sarah shouted as she jumped into the bushes. Jimmy, although reluctant at first, knew it was the only chance that he had to avoid a pounding from the Kankers. He jumped in after her, and the two of them huddled up together and tried to stay as quiet as possible, listening in fright as the Kankers came nearer and nearer to their hiding spot. "Don't move a muscle..." Sarah cautioned in a hushed voice as they heard the Kankers stop right next to the bushes.

"Where the heck did they go?" Marie asked as she scanned the woods around them for any sign of two little kids crashing through the woods.

"I don't know..." Lee muttered as she too searched the woods with her eyes.

"What if they're hiding?" May suggested, causing Sarah and Jimmy's faces to light up with renewed fear.

"They probably are..." Lee answered as she turned toward May. "But I say we forget about those twerps and head back home. After all, we gotta get our ship-inna-bottle back to its rightful place," she suggested. She then turned toward Marie, who still had the ship-inna-bottle in her hand. "Alright, Marie, hand it over," Lee requested as she held out her hand. Marie, however, kept the ship-inna-bottle out of her reach.

"I don't think so, Lee," Marie began as she smirked at her sister evilly. "I'm going to be the one to put it back."

"Oh, really?" Lee asked as she stepped toward Marie. "Well I say that I'm the one who's going to put it back!" she shouted.

"No way, I'm gonna do it!" May cried as she stepped toward her sisters.

"Not if I get there first!" Marie suddenly yelled as she began to run away from her sisters and toward the trailer park.

"Come back here, Marie!" Lee shouted as she and May began to run after Marie, who was laughing maniacally as she sprinted as fast as she could. Sarah and Jimmy waited until they couldn't hear the Kankers any longer before slowly crawling out of the bushes.

"Stupid twig..." Sarah muttered as she pulled a small stick off of her that had been clutching to her shirt.

"That was too close," Jimmy commented as he turned toward Sarah, who was dusting herself off. After she was done cleaning herself up a bit, she looked up at him, although he was surprised to see that she actually seemed a little angry.

"Jimmy..." she began as she crossed her arms. "Did you... did you really steal their ship-inna-bottle?" she asked, causing Jimmy to look at her with shock.

"I didn't, Sarah, I swear!" Jimmy answered, more than a little peeved that Sarah actually had the gall to suggest such a thing. She seemed to turn Jimmy's answer over in her head a bit before answering.

"But if you didn't steal it, then why did the Kankers find it in _your_ house?" she finally asked. Jimmy couldn't believe this; Sarah, his best friend, was honestly grilling him on whether or not he had stolen something from the Kankers.

"I don't know, Sarah..." Jimmy answered. "Someone must've hid it in my room to get me in trouble..." he reasoned, although he trailed off at the end, knowing it sounded stupid. His thoughts were reinforced further by Sarah's exasperated sigh.

"I don't know what to think, Jimmy..." Sarah said as she turned away from him. "I mean, first the Eds and now the Kankers..." she muttered. Jimmy had had enough of this.

"Come on, Sarah, now you're the one who's letting them get to you!" Jimmy cried. "I mean, the Eds are a bunch of liars, and the Kankers will find any excuse they can to pick on someone," he opined, hoping to convince his friend to see reason. "For all I know, the Kankers could've planted their stupid ship-inna-bottle in my room!" Sarah turned back to him.

"Maybe you're right..." Sarah answered reluctantly. Jimmy was relieved to see her tense down and smile at him. "How about we just go back to the cul-de-sac and forget all this nonsense, huh?" she offered as she extended her hand to Jimmy.

"I like the sound of that, girlfriend!" Jimmy answered as he flashed her a smile. As the two of them started back toward the cul-de-sac, he couldn't help but begin to wonder what was going on. He didn't want Sarah to really think that he did anything to either the Eds or the Kankers, but he was actually starting to wonder what was really happening himself. Perhaps there was someone running around pretending to be him. The thought amused him a little at first, but it also terrified him. He stuffed these thoughts away as Sarah began to talk to him about heading to her house and watching television. The thought soothed him with its promise of normalcy, and so he finally locked his feelings of doubt out and threw away the key.

* * *

"I can't wait to show you this funny cartoon I was watching the other day," Sarah said as she and Jimmy finally arrived back in the cul-de-sac.

"What was it called?" Jimmy asked as they started for Sarah's house.

"It was called-" Sarah began but quickly stopped when she spotted Kevin, Nazz, Rolf, and Jonny coming toward them. Something was wrong, however; none of them seemed very happy to see them.

"Why the heck did you do that for?" Kevin asked angrily as the four of them stopped in front of Sarah and Jimmy.

"Yeah, that was really uncool, dude," Nazz added as Jimmy suddenly realized they were all looking at him.

"What are you talking about?" Jimmy asked; Sarah suddenly let go of Jimmy's hand and looked over at him, a questioning look on her face.

"Don't play dumb, Jimmy," Kevin answered as he stepped forward and held up an object to Jimmy. "We all saw you tear up my bike's tires with this," he claimed as Jimmy eyed the object in his hand, fear overtaking every fiber of his being. He recognized the object instantly: it was his sculpting knife.

"But... but..." Jimmy stuttered, dumbfounded. There was no way this was him. There was no way he could've done what he was being accused of. He had no recollection of doing it, not to mention the fact that it was literally impossible for him to have done it; when he wasn't playing with Sarah, he was busy being chased by those crazy Kanker sisters.

"Are you sure it was Jimmy?" Sarah asked, obviously finding their story hard to believe herself.

"I swear it was him," Kevin responded.

"Besides, we all saw him... even Plank did!" Jonny added as he pointed to Plank. Sarah turned back to Jimmy, a look of disappointment on her face; he stared back at her in shock.

"But... but Sarah, you know I couldn't have done it! I've been playing with you all day!" he explained with much fervor, desperate to clear his name.

"Well..." Sarah began as she looked over at Kevin and the others, who still seemed sure of themselves. She then looked back at Jimmy; he knew what was coming. "I... I'd like to believe you didn't... but I did leave you alone to go tape Mom's show..." Sarah rationalized as Jimmy looked at her in astonishment.

"Yeah, but the Kankers showed up right afterwards and attacked me!" Jimmy claimed as he threw his arms into the air.

"Funny you should mention the Kankers, Fluffy," Kevin interjected. "Cause while we were out playing in the lane, they stopped by and roughed us up a bit. They were looking for that stupid bottle of theirs again, and they even asked where you were," he explained as he watched Jimmy's eyes widen with fear. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, now would ya?" he asked, although it was apparent that he already knew who had taken their prized heirloom. Jimmy felt so small with everyone standing around him, accusing glares on their faces as they watched him squirm.

"Jimmy," Sarah began as she stepped toward him. "If you did all this stuff, just admit it..." Kevin nodded in agreement.

"Look, I don't know why you might be messing with people like this, but I swear I won't hurt you if you just say sorry," Kevin added, obviously being lenient toward Jimmy since he was younger and might not know better. But Jimmy knew he didn't do it. He didn't wreck the Eds scam, he didn't take the Kankers' ship-inna-bottle, and he most certainly didn't slash Kevin's bike tires. He wasn't about to own up to something that he had no hand in.

"I'm not sorry, because... because..." Jimmy huffed, the pressure getting the better of him. "It wasn't me!" he cried before running off, tears beginning to gather in his eyes. Sarah and the others watched as he ran off, all of them surprised by his sudden outburst.

"Perhaps Crybaby Jimmy needs some time alone..." Rolf suggested to the others, who all looked over at him.

"I guess so..." Kevin muttered as he pocketed Jimmy's sculpting knife. "But now I gotta go to the junkyard and find some spare tires... see you guys around," he said before running off. Nazz turned to Sarah.

"If you want, Sarah, you can hang out with me, Rolf, and Jonny... you know, until Jimmy cools off," Nazz offered with a smile. Sarah shrugged.

"Sure," she said weakly before following Nazz and the others, although Jimmy was obviously still on her mind.

* * *

Jimmy stood before the front door of a house, debating in his head whether or not his current plan was a good idea. After sitting in his room and feeling sorry for himself for about an hour, he had decided that he had to take action and find out what could possibly be going on. He knew he didn't do any of the things he had been accused of, but he feared there may actually be some sort of explanation for the odd occurrences, perhaps something medical or psychological. And he knew the one person who could possibly help him find out: Edd. Although Jimmy knew that Edd was usually friendly and eager to help people, he didn't know whether he would be as mad as Eddy was about his imposter ruining their scam. With this in mind, Jimmy gathered up all of his mettle and rapped on Edd's door lightly. After a few seconds, he could hear someone coming down the stairs and walking toward the door. The door cracked open lightly and he saw Edd peak through the crack; upon seeing his visitor was merely Jimmy, Edd sighed with relief and unchained the door. "Hello, Jimmy," he greeted.

"Hey, Double D," Jimmy responded before giving him a weak smile. The two of them stood there for a moment, an awkward silence devouring them. "Uh... so, I was wondering if you could help me with a problem," he finally said as he stared up at Edd.

"Well, what seems to be troubling you?" Edd asked as he began to step outside and close the door behind him. Jimmy quickly stopped him, however.

"Wait... let's talk about it in your house..." Jimmy trailed off as he looked around the cul-de-sac behind him, making sure he wasn't being followed.

"Very well then," Edd answered as he led Jimmy into his house and shut the door behind them. Edd led him into his kitchen and the two of them took a seat at the kitchen table. "Now then, you wanted to discuss a problem you were having?" he questioned as he looked across the table at Jimmy, who was acting really nervous.

"Yeah... it's about... well, it's about what happened earlier," Jimmy admitted as he returned Edd's gaze.

"You mean what happened between you, Ed, Eddy, and I?" Edd inquired.

"Yes," Jimmy answered. "You see... I don't... well, I don't know who could've possibly ruined your stall," he began as he straightened up in his chair. "At first I thought it might've been someone else trying to frame me... or maybe even someone who looked like me... but... then some other things happened since then..." he admitted.

"Like what?" Edd asked, curious as to what else could've transpired.

"Like the Kanker sisters accusing me of stealing their ship-inna-bottle and Kevin saying that I slashed the tires on his bike," Jimmy responded, causing Edd's eyes to widen; he was obviously a bit surprised.

"Oh my..." Edd commented passively as he continued to listen to Jimmy.

"Now, I don't remember doing either of those things, but the Kankers did find their bottle in my room, and Kevin showed me what I apparently used to slash his tires, and it was my sculpting knife," Jimmy related, realizing at the same time that he had forgotten to get it back from Kevin. Not that he wanted to; he feared Kevin might hurt him if no one was watching. "And it made me start to think that... well..."

"That perhaps you did commit these acts of terror but that you simply don't recall them," Edd finished for Jimmy, who sighed.

"Yeah... I know it sounds weird, but you've got to believe me when I say I don't remember doing any of those things at all," Jimmy answered. "And that's the part that scares me the most... it makes me think that I might do something even worse than stealing things or destroying property..." he continued.

"Indeed..." Edd answered. "Well, if it would help put you at ease, I believe you when you say you don't have any recollection of what you might've done," he said. Jimmy actually did feel a bit relieved to have someone on his side, but it was obvious Edd wasn't done yet. "However, I really can't tell you off the top of my head what might be causing these strange actions on your part and memory lapses... I do have a few books up in my room that I could look in, although it may take a while to nail down a specific disorder," he explained as Jimmy nodded.

"I guess I could wait a little while..." Jimmy answered as he looked up at Edd, who had stood up. "But are you sure there's absolutely no other explanation for what's happening?" he asked, hoping for some sort of short term answer he could sink his teeth into. Edd tapped his foot for a moment as he thought about it, and then looked back over at Jimmy.

"I can't think of anything outside of the realm of medicine and science..." Edd began. "But I suppose there's the possibility that it really is someone who looks just like you..." he finished, although it obviously wasn't the answer Jimmy was looking for. In fact, the answer sort of frightened him; the thought of there being a mischievous look-a-like of him running around wasn't exactly comforting. Edd could see that his answer unsettled Jimmy, so he walked over to Jimmy and laid his hand on his shoulder. "But obviously that is a really farfetched possibility..." he added, wanting to calm the scared boy down.

"I hope so..." Jimmy lamented as Edd took his hand off of Jimmy's shoulder.

"Now then, you may stay in my house if you like, but I do implore you not to disturb me, as I can get a little high-strung when digging through all of those books... the small print can be so straining on the eyes sometimes..." Edd babbled as he began to walk toward the stairs.

"Wait, Double D," Jimmy said before standing up, causing Edd to turn back to him.

"Yes?" Edd asked.

"I was just thinking..." Jimmy began, although he knew what he was about to say would be strange. "I... I remember one time when Jonny, Rolf, and I were out in the woods... not the time that you and your friends were out there trying to scare us, mind you..." he explained as Edd listened closely. "He told us a story that he swore was true about these beings... I can't remember what they're called... but they are these beings that look exactly like you, except they're known to be evil and be a sign of bad omens," Jimmy finished. Edd had a look of extreme skepticism on his face as he cleared his throat.

"Now, Jimmy, I'm not one to encourage myths, especially not in a situation like this, but... I believe the beings that Rolf was speaking of are called Doppelgangers," Edd answered. "If I remember correctly, Doppelgangers, when seen by friends and family, usually represent danger or disease, while if one sees his own Doppelganger, it is a..." Edd trailed off, fearing that he might end up scaring Jimmy.

"Go on, please, Double D," Jimmy requested, although he was both eager and terrified to learn what it meant if he saw his Doppelganger.

"If a person sees their own Doppelganger... it's a death omen," Edd answered reluctantly. Jimmy felt a lump in his throat form. This had to be what it was. He knew it was strange. He knew it might be impossible. But he was almost sure this is what was happening. It was his Doppelganger. Edd could see that his tale had gotten to him, and he knew better than to let Jimmy believe that it was something as silly as his Doppelganger causing all this trouble. "But of course that's all just fairy tales and myths," he assured Jimmy as he gave him a smile. "Something as ridiculous as a Doppelganger wouldn't exist in real life, and it doesn't. It's simply another legend that makes for good storytelling," he went on as Jimmy nodded slowly.

"I guess you're right..." Jimmy agreed as he returned Edd's smile.

"Good... now then, I better get to work finding out what the real cause of this is," Edd said.

"Yeah... but I think I'm going to head home," Jimmy answered. "Just call me when you think you know what's going on."

"That sounds good... just try to get some rest, Jimmy. It's obvious that you've had a long day," Edd said as he led Jimmy back into the living room and toward his front door. "And please, don't leave your house. As long as you stay in your house, I'm sure you can't unintentionally do anything to anyone," he added as he opened his front door.

"Will do," Jimmy responded as he stepped outside. "See ya... and thanks for your help," Jimmy said.

"Not a problem, Jimmy," Edd answered as he shut his door. Jimmy stood outside for a few moments and simply stared at Edd's door. He wasn't buying that it was something medical or scientific. He knew that it had to be what Rolf had told him about. It was his Doppelganger. He didn't know why it was here or why it was causing so much trouble for him, but he knew it wasn't a good sign. He feared what might happen if he saw his own Doppelganger. He feared that he might die. Despite this, he knew he couldn't sit idly by and let his Doppelganger run loose. He decided that he had to find Sarah and make sure she was alright; after all, she was his best friend, and, being that the Doppelganger looked just like him... all he knew was that he had to find her. With this in mind, Jimmy began walking toward Sarah's house.

* * *

Sarah sat idly on the swings, letting the wind rock her back and forth gently. She was alone; although Nazz, Rolf, and Jonny had offered to keep hanging out with her, she had declined. She wanted to see Jimmy again; she was feeling regretful over taking Kevin's side over Jimmy's, and wanted to apologize. She still thought that perhaps Jimmy had really done those things, but she didn't want to cause a fight. After all, he might've just been going through something or had a bad day. She really couldn't figure it out. She suddenly perked up when she heard someone approaching her. She looked up and a smile crept across her face.

It was Jimmy, and he seemed really happy to see her.

* * *

"Sarah!" Jimmy called out as he wandered around the back of Sarah's house. No one answered the front door, not even Sarah's brother, Ed. He thought that perhaps she was around back, but, as he could plainly see, she wasn't there either. "Where could she be..." he whispered to himself. He looked over at the window to the basement, which led to Ed's room. He knew what he was thinking was wrong, but he was desperate to find her. He ran over to the window and peaked inside. He could see that Ed's room was in its normal filthy condition, although he didn't see Ed anywhere. He pushed lightly against the window with his hand, and it swung open a little. He sighed before crawling carefully inside. He dropped down on Ed's floor, being careful to avoid landing in any puddles of goop or any piles of trash. He scanned the room, making double sure that Ed wasn't home and then proceeded toward the door out of Ed's room.

He cracked it open and looked out, wary of the fact that his Doppelganger could possibly be waiting for him in the house. He wasn't completely sure, though, that the Doppelganger could even hurt him. Rolf didn't say whether or not Doppelgangers could physically hurt people, only that they were an omen if seen. Still, this Doppelganger had obviously been able to steal stuff and break things, so Jimmy also knew there was a pretty good chance that it could hurt living things as well. He carefully exited the door and entered the wash room that was outside of Ed's room. He started for the basement stairs, thinking that Sarah might've went to her room. he advanced up the stairs at a quick pace. He exited the basement after reaching the top, and stepped into Sarah's house.

Jimmy walked silently through Sarah's house and towards her room, which was on the second floor. There was a strange silence cast over the house; he could literally hear his heart beating in his chest. He advanced up the stairs to the second floor quickly, although the loud noise his feet thudding against the staircase made broke the eerie silence. After a short walk, he reached Sarah's door. He hesitated slightly, unsure of whether or not she was still angry at him; after all, she probably still believed that he had done all those things. And she probably still would, even after he talked to her. He was certain that his explanation of his Doppelganger being the one causing all the trouble would garner a troubled look from his friend, but it was all he had to go on. Jimmy knocked on Sarah's door and waited.

No one came. Jimmy waited for a few more seconds before realizing that she must not be home. He sighed before walking back toward the staircase. He knew there was a million other places she could be. She could be at Rolf's house, Kevin's house, Nazz's house, or even Jonny's house. She could possibly be at the junkyard, the creek, the woods, the playground, or a myriad of other places. He didn't know where to start. He advanced down the stairs slowly, deep in thought.

"Come out and face the music!" Jimmy froze in the middle of the stairs, the sudden yell scaring him. He recognized the voice as belonging to Jonny, and it sounded like it came from outside.

"Show yourself, you little coward!" he heard Kevin yell. Jimmy began to feel a dark fear creep up inside of him. He started to walk toward a window at the front of Sarah's house, knowing that he had no choice but to look outside and see what was going on. He could hear Kevin, Rolf, Jonny, and Nazz all calling out his name as he drew closer to the window. Jimmy pulled the curtains open a small amount and looked over at his house, which was right next door. He gawked in horror as he spotted Kevin and the others standing at the front door of his house, calling out for him and pounding on the door in anger.

"How could you do that to Sarah?" Nazz yelled as the crowd of kids shifted and stomped around. He suddenly spotted four other people standing a little ways behind the crowd of angry kids. Edd and Eddy stood together as they both watched Ed and Sarah, who stood close together. Ed was stroking the back of Sarah's head while whispering something down to her, and she had her face buried in Ed's chest. He could see tears falling down from her face and running down Ed's shirt, although he couldn't tell what had happened to her. Ed stopped stroking Sarah's head and let go of her, letting her turn around. Jimmy almost felt like crying his self when he saw Sarah's face. She had a black eye and a cut lip, and she had several bruises all over her face and arms. And there were tears falling like raindrops from her face. Jimmy choked up in horror as he slowly realized what had happened: his Doppelganger had beaten Sarah, and now everyone in the cul-de-sac thought he had done it.

"No..." Jimmy whispered to himself as his eyes began to tear up. He couldn't take his eyes off of Sarah's beaten face, and his ears were filled with sounds of the kids calling out for him in righteous anger. He didn't blame them. After all, how could they know that he wasn't the one doing all this? How could they know that an exact copy of him was running around the cul-de-sac and committing random acts of evil? "No... not random," he said quietly. The Doppelganger was doing these things for one purpose, and one purpose only: to ruin his life. He wished that he could walk out there and set things straight, but he knew what would inevitably happen: as soon as he set foot outside of Sarah's house, the kids would be on him. They would beat him to a pulp in revenge for what they thought he had done to Sarah. Jimmy's thoughts suddenly cleared away and his eyes widened as he stared at Sarah's battered face. He realized that she was looking right at him.

"There he is!" Sarah yelled in a pained voice as she jabbed her finger at him. Jimmy stumbled away from the window in shock, his entire body shaking with fear. Everyone shifted their gaze to Sarah's house, where they all saw Jimmy retreating back away from the window.

"Get that little punk!" Kevin yelled as he led the charge toward Sarah's house, Nazz, Rolf, Jonny, and Eddy close behind him.

"Wait!" Edd yelled at the group of rampaging kids, who paid him no mind. "Jimmy might be mentally unstable, we shouldn't-"

"Shut up," Edd heard Ed harshly bark at him, causing Edd to whirl around and face him. Ed's face was stone cold serious, and there was a deep scowl on his lips.

"But Ed-"

"Jimmy hurt my sister," Ed said coldly as he held Sarah close to him. "He needs to be punished." Edd looked at Ed incredulously, not believing what he was hearing coming out of his normally docile friend.

"Jonny, Rolf, you guys circle around back and make sure he can't escape!" Kevin ordered as the group ran toward Sarah's house. Jonny and Rolf broke away from Kevin and the others and ran toward Sarah's backyard. Kevin, Nazz, and Eddy ran up to Sarah's front door and stopped. Kevin grabbed the handle but realized it was locked. "Looks like it's locked..." he commented as he let go of the handle.

"Come on, let's just kick it in!" Eddy cried, his impatience getting the better of him.

"I don't know, it is Sarah's house..." Nazz commented as they stood there, still unsure of how to proceed.

"I say we just wait it out... after all, there's no way for him to escape," Kevin responded as Nazz and Eddy nodded in agreement. Rolf and Jonny went around the back of the house and stopped when they reached the glass sliding door in the back. They walked over to the sliding door and peered inside.

"Jonny the wood boy, perhaps you can pry open this sliding metal and glass door with your piece of fence post?" Rolf asked as he looked over at Jonny, who seemed offended by the idea.

"No way, Plank's not a crowbar!" Jonny shot back as he held Plank close to his side. The two of them bickered back and forth quietly about how to get inside; neither of them noticed a scared face peering at them from the basement window. Jimmy watched Rolf and Jonny with wild eyes, scared out of his wits. There was no way out of the house; he knew that the others were probably waiting for him out front, and, although Rolf and Jonny were temporarily distracted, he knew they might notice him if he tried to sneak out of Ed's window. But he knew this may be his only chance; only half-distracted or not, Jimmy knew that he had to take this opportunity to try and make his escape. He slowly pushed the window open, praying that it wouldn't make any noise as he did so.

"It is just a piece of wood, Rolf does not see the problem with Rolf's suggestion!" Rolf said angrily, his voice becoming slightly raised.

"Yeah, well how about you go get Victor and pry open the door with him, cause Plank won't do it!" Jonny responded as he looked up at Rolf's face, which was scrunched up in defiance. Jimmy slid out of Ed's window and onto the lawn. He reached behind him and made sure to shut Ed's window with great care. He then got into a crouching position and began to back away slowly while facing Rolf and Jonny, hoping that neither of them would notice his exit. Jimmy went around the side of Sarah's house and out of Rolf and Jonny's sight. He sighed with relief. He was in the clear, for now. Jimmy turned around almost screamed in panic as he spotted Eddy charging toward him. He was about to turn around and run, but Eddy leaped on top of him and pinned him to the ground. Jimmy squirmed around in resistance, but it was no use; Eddy might not be very strong, but he was certainly much stronger than he was.

"Looks like there's no where to run now, you little brat," Eddy seethed as he stared down at Jimmy, rage in his eyes.

"But Eddy, I thought you hated Sarah," Jimmy answered, hoping that Eddy's loathing of Sarah would get him out of this.

"Sure I did... and I still do, but I ain't gonna let a little punk like you get away with beating on someone like that, even if it is Sarah, not to mention the fact that you ruined my scam," Eddy answered as he locked eyes with the terrified Jimmy. "And now I'm gonna call the others, and you're gonna get what you deserve!" he added as he sucked in a breath of air. Jimmy was desperate; playing on Eddy's hate for Sarah didn't work, so he knew there was only one other option.

"What are the Kankers doing here?" Jimmy yelled in a panicked voice, causing Eddy to freeze with fear and turn his head away.

"Kankers? Where?" Eddy cried as he began to scan the area around him in terror. Jimmy suddenly gathered all his strength and kicked Eddy off of him, sending him flying backwards. Jimmy quickly leaped to his feet and began to run full sprint toward the front yard, Eddy slowly picking himself up off of the ground. "Guys, Jimmy's over here!" he called out as he began to run after Jimmy, shaking off the pain from Jimmy's foot hitting him square in the stomach. Jimmy ran with breakneck speed through Sarah's front yard; Kevin and Nazz whirled around as they heard Eddy's alert and spotted Jimmy at the same time.

"Get him!" Kevin ordered as he and Nazz began to run after Jimmy, who ran even faster at the sight. Jimmy could hear the rapid beat of his feet hitting the pavement as he ran across the cul-de-sac, Kevin and Nazz close behind him. Eddy, Rolf, and Jonny suddenly appeared from the side of Sarah's house running full speed toward him, hoping to join in the pursuit.

"It wasn't me!" Jimmy called out to no avail as he ran toward the entrance to the cul-de-sac, a line of kids right behind him. It was obvious that they weren't going to listen to him.

"Stop right there, you big meanie!" a voice called out as Jimmy turned his head to the right to spot the source. He cried out in fear as he saw Ed charging straight toward him, obviously hoping to stop his escape.

"Please, Ed, don't!" Jimmy pleaded as Ed continued to sprint recklessly toward him. Ed leaped toward him in an attempt to knock him to the ground, but Jimmy gathered his strength and jumped; Ed hit the pavement hard as Jimmy landed on his feet and continued running. Ed quickly got to his feet and joined the line of kids who were chasing after Jimmy. Jimmy ran out of the cul-de-sac and started running up the street and toward the lane. He didn't know how he was going lose the kids, but he knew he had to do it fast; he could already feel his frail body growing weaker from the chase. Jimmy reached the entrance to the lane and quickly turned into it, the kids not too far behind him. He ran up the dirt path as fast as he could, trash cans and dumpsters flying by him as he did so. As he continued to run down the lane, the Construction Site came into view on his right. He knew that the Construction Site was his best bet for losing his pursuers, so he quickly veered right and ran into the maze of half-built houses and construction equipment. He leaped over a pile of wood and ducked under support beams as he barreled through the site

"Where'd he go?" Jimmy heard Kevin shout as he continued his wild scramble through the Construction Site. He felt a bit of relief in his mind; he was finally starting to lose them. But he knew he couldn't slow down now; he had to make sure that he was far out of their reach before feeling safe. He stopped next to a large, yellow crane and looked up at it.

"It'll have to do..." he whispered to himself before grabbing hold of a small silver rung that was on the side. He climbed up the side of the crane and toward the cabin. He tried the handle on the door and was relieved to find that it was unlocked, the door opening slightly. He quickly opened the door and climbed inside of the crane, and then shut the door behind him. He ducked low in the seat and out of sight. He could feel his chest rising up and down rapidly, and could hear the loud breaths of air he was sucking in. The chase had taken a lot out of him, but he knew he had to quiet himself down. If the kids managed to find him in the crane, there would be no escape. His body was so wracked with fatigue that another sprint was out of the question.

"Spread out and search for him!" Jimmy heard Kevin's voice call out. "He can't of gotten far!" Jimmy squished himself even lower into the seat, fearing that one of the kids might still be able to spot him. He lay motionless in the cabin of the crane as silence suddenly fell over the Construction Site; he knew the kids must be trying to keep quiet in order to ambush him. Jimmy could feel sweat from both his wild run and from fear running down his body as he began to hear noises from right outside of the crane. Some of them were nearby. He could hear footsteps, as well as a few whispers, although he couldn't tell what was being said. He tried to keep his body from shaking, but the voices were getting louder.

"Oh no..." Jimmy whispered as he heard someone touching the side of the crane. His entire body tensed up. There was no running anymore. They had him right where they wanted him. He closed his eyes as he heard a hand grip the handle on the cabin door.

"Frail Jimmy-boy is over there!" Jimmy heard Rolf yell. Jimmy opened his eyes and was about to cry out when he realized that the door was still closed. He heard the thumping of footsteps moving away from the crane and off into the distance. He quickly realized what had happened and leaped into the seat and looked out of the windshield, only to see the kids running off into the distance. He couldn't see who they were chasing, but he didn't need to. He waited a few minutes after the kids had left before hopping out of the crane and sprinting toward the lane. He knew what he had to do.

* * *

Jimmy reached into the closet and snatched one last shirt from a hanger in his closet before running back over to his bed, which had an open suitcase full of clothes laying on it. He neatly folded the shirt and then stuck it in the suitcase before snapping it shut. He sighed and backed away from it a little. He had packed all the things he would need for his journey. Well, at least everything he thought he needed; he didn't know when he'd be coming back. He walked over beside the suitcase and then sat down on the end of his bed, feeling sapped of energy. He had to duck and weave the whole way back to his house, and, even then, he had to pack in the dark of his room, which had the lights off and curtains drawn shut, and had to be careful not to make even the slightest sound. It drained him of all of his will, and left him a autonomous husk. He just wanted this nightmare to end.

But it would never end. He was now a fugitive, and would no longer be welcome in the cul-de-sac. The kids all thought he was guilty of everything, and he might as well be. Doppelganger or not, to the other kids thought he was the one who did all those things. He was the one who tore apart the Eds' scam. He was the one who sneaked into the trailer park and snatched the Kankers' ship-inna-bottle. He was the one who took his sculpting knife and slashed the tires on Kevin's bike. And he was the one who maliciously beat Sarah into submission. He had no other choice but to leave, and that's just what he was going to do.

Jimmy grabbed hold of the suitcase and dragged it off of the edge of the bed. It was heavy at first, but he finally found the strength to hold it steady. He began to walk across the dark of the room, trying to keep his footsteps soft. He suddenly stopped mid-walk and turned to his left for one final look in his mirror. His hair was a matted mess and his eyes looked wild and crazed with terror. His clothes were stained and blotted with the day's exertions, and his face looked as if it had been drained of all life. He sighed as he began to turn away, but then suddenly stopped as he looked back at his reflection. His eyes lit up with realization. The suitcase hit the floor with a thud as Jimmy's hand lost all strength and his mouth fell open. He suddenly realized that his mirror was to his far left.

He was staring into the closet.

* * *

The door to Jimmy's room slowly creaked open as a lone figure stepped inside. The person scanned the room for a moment before fully stepping inside, making sure to shut the door behind them. They hadn't been followed; they had made sure of it. The person stepped a bit more into Jimmy's room, although they had trouble seeing as it was so dark. The light was off and thick curtains had been pulled in front of the window. The person stepped toward the window and opened the curtains, letting light flood into the room. The person looked around the room, which was now significantly brighter, and realized the person they were looking for wasn't there. "Jimmy..." Sarah moaned as she walked over to his bed and laid her hand on it. She still had the bruises and cuts all over her from what Jimmy had done to her.

Even then, she didn't want to see him go. But it was obvious he had. The other kids had turned the cul-de-sac upside down looking for Jimmy, but it seemed that he had disappeared. She gripped the blanket on Jimmy's bed tightly. She knew he'd be back. And then she'd forgive him. She had to. She sighed and began to move toward the door to Jimmy's room, but stopped when she spotted a suitcase sitting in front of the closet. She walked over to it and knelt down beside it. She laid her hand on the top of it and clicked the latch. It popped open and some articles of clothing spilled out. "That's weird..." Sarah commented to herself as she stood back up. It didn't make sense that Jimmy would leave a suitcase full of his clothes in his room, especially if he had run away; it would make more sense for him to take them with him. She shrugged to herself and then began to walk towards the door again, but suddenly stopped when she heard a thud. She tensed up for a second and then turned to the source of the sound. Her eyes locked onto the closet.

For some reason, Sarah didn't want to get any closer to the closet; there was some sort of voice inside of her that was begging her, screaming at her not to get any closer to that white door. But she didn't listen. She started walking slowly toward it, her hand outstretched toward the shiny gold handle. She almost jumped when she heard another thud in the closet, this one louder than the last. She froze for a moment, unsure of whether or not to continue. She suddenly sighed heavily as she realized who it must be. Sarah reached for the handle and then turned it.

_Jimmy is a boy whose mind has been drawn taut by something as simple as a reflection that he cannot see. Jimmy is a boy whose world has been shattered by his inability to combat his own flesh and blood. Jimmy is a boy whose cozy, comfortable, and carefree world has been shattered by the strangest of things: himself. Jimmy has taken a step out of Peach Creek and into the Twilight Zone._

"Jimmy, I promise I won't tell the others-" Sarah stopped mid-sentence as something fell out of the closet and hit the floor with a sickening thud right in front of her. She couldn't help but let out a bloodcurdling scream as she stared down at the mutilated body of her best friend.


	2. Sarah: Truthseeker

**Author's Note: **_Sorry for the long wait, everyone. __I'm glad you all enjoyed the first chapter, but our journey into the Twilight Zone has only just begun...__  
_

* * *

_You unlock this door with the key of imagination, beyond it is another dimension..._

_... a dimension of sound..._

_... a dimension of sight..._

_... a dimension of mind._

_You are moving into a land of both shadow and substance..._

_... of things and ideas._

_You've just crossed over into..._

_The Twilight Zone._

* * *

Sarah sat lazily in a large, purple chair as she stared into bright images that flashed before her on a television screen. She mindlessly tapped buttons in a remote she held in one hand, obviously disinterested in the offerings that the television had for her. She suddenly yawned, boredom finally getting to her. Despite this, she refused to leave the chair, and her eyes remained locked on the screen of the television. Her finger kept moving as if it had a mind of its own, still pressing buttons and changing channels. She was so out of it, in fact, that she almost didn't notice when the television screen was suddenly dark and devoid of the bright, flashing images that it held just seconds before. Her finger stopped moving and her eyes widened. She began to think of all the possible explanations for this sudden phenomenon in rapid fire succession. The power could've went out. The television could've died. She could've accidentally hit the power button on the remote. But no, her mind finally reached the only conclusion it needed, and it was a conclusion that she reached quite often. Sarah suddenly jumped out of her seat and threw the controller on the chair behind her. She gathered up a big breath of air in order to yell one thing: "Ed!"

_Sarah, age eight, can be summed up in one word: a spoiled brat. Despite the fact that that is in fact three words, Sarah would likely throw a tantrum if any less were used to describe her. Of course, none of the adults are privy to her spoiled nature; in fact, they all think she is a perfectly normal, innocent girl. At the tip of a hat and in the absence of adults, however, she will transform into furious force to be reckoned with. But if there's one thing Sarah enjoys more than physically hurting those who do not bow to her every whim, it's tattling on them. A keeper and giver of secrets, she promises to keep her mouth shut as long as you do exactly as she says. Very soon, however, Sarah will learn many secrets, some that she will grow to wish she had never learned at all.  
_

Sarah waited for a few moments for Ed to come running, but he never came. "Why that no good... I know he heard me..." she muttered angrily before exiting the living room and heading toward the basement door. Ed was really going to get it now; she knew that if he didn't come running the first time she called, he was likely to blame for the television not working. She threw open the basement door and descended the stairs quickly, each step creaking under her furious footsteps. When she reached Ed's door, she kicked it in, and then scanned the room; Ed's room was still as filthy and disorganized as ever. She finally spotted Ed kneeling in front of his own television, and quickly walked up behind him. "Ed, you come to me when I call you!" Sarah exclaimed as she stood behind him. She stood there with her arms crossed for a second before realizing that he still wasn't responding to her. She walked up beside him and saw that he was staring blankly at the blank television screen. He held a remote in his hand, and he was repeatedly tapping the power button over and over again._  
_

"Must... have... movie..." Ed moaned as a line of drool slowly dripped from his lower lip. Sarah rolled her eyes before snatching the remote away from him, which seemed to snap him out of his trance. He blinked a few times as if he had just been awoken, and then slowly looked over at her. "Hello, baby sister!" he said happily as he stood up, towering over the much smaller Sarah. "Didya come to watch a scary movie with me?" he asked as he grinned down at her. Sarah sighed and rubbed her forehead with her free hand.

"No, Ed, but you did something to mess up the TV upstairs, and you're gonna fix it," Sarah answered, her voice much more level compared to before. Ed's smile faded a bit.

"But, Sarah, it wasn't me!" Ed began; most of his defenses started this way, and they usually ended the same way as well. "I was sitting here watching a scary movie, and there were mutant space gophers, and space soldiers, and laser guns, and-"

"I don't care about your stupid movie!" Sarah shouted angrily, her fist balled up in anger. "Just fix the TV upstairs so I can watch what I wanna watch!" she ordered as she pointed her free hand at Ed's door.

"But-"

"And if you don't do it, then I'll tell mom that you tried to force me to watch a scary movie," Sarah answered as Ed's expression shifted to one of fear. Her angry scowl suddenly morphed into a devious smile; she had him right she wanted him, as usual.

"Okay, Sarah, big brother will fix the TV for you..." Ed answered, although it was clear he wasn't happy about the turn of events. He walked past her and made his way toward the living room, his head hanging low all the while. Sarah watched happily from behind him as he left his room.

"That's more like it..." Sarah said to herself before tossing the remote to Ed's television carelessly aside. Ed walked into the living room and then stopped in front of the television.

"Hmm..." Ed said as he stared down at the television, which was still off. He didn't know what was wrong; he felt like he should call his friend Edd. After all, whenever there was a problem like this, he usually knew what to do.

"What are you standing around like an idiot for?" Sarah suddenly asked as she walked into the room. "Get to fixing it!" she commanded as she threw her arms up in the air. Ed scratched his chin and looked at her nervously, not sure of what to do. Although he was dense, he knew that if he tried to fix the television, he'd probably make it worse.

"Um... maybe Double D can fix it?" Ed suggested as he gave a nervous smile to Sarah, who began to rub her chin.

"Well..." Sarah said as she considered Ed's offer. A series of knocks suddenly issued forth from the front door, breaking her train of thought. "Why didn't he just call like I said..." she muttered as she gave up on thinking about Ed's suggestion. "You got lucky this time, Ed, but it better work when dad gets home or you'll be in even bigger trouble," she warned as she walked away and toward the front door, leaving Ed to worry about the problem further now that his dad was on his mind. Sarah walked over to the front door and then opened it to reveal her friend Jimmy.

"Hey, Sarah," Jimmy said as he stood on her front porch.

"Hey..." Sarah answered as she crossed her arms. "I thought you were gonna call," she commented.

"Yeah, but the power went out for some reason, so I had to come over here in person instead," Jimmy answered; Sarah realized that must be why the televisions weren't working.

"You do know that phones still work when the power is out, right?" she asked, causing Jimmy's eyes to widen.

"Oh yeah... that's right..." Jimmy responded as he rubbed the back of his head and frowned. "But I'm already over here now... so..." he recovered as he straightened up. "We should go over my house! I've got something really fun we can do," he offered as he beamed at her. Sarah looked over in the living room and saw that Ed was still staring at the television like an idiot, and then looked back at Jimmy.

"Whatever, anything's better than sticking around here with my fathead brother..." Sarah answered before walking outside and shutting the door behind her.

* * *

"This is what you call fun, Jimmy?" Sarah asked in a slightly peeved tone as she stared down at a moldy cardboard box that sat on the floor of Jimmy's living room. All manner of objects had been stuffed into it; there were old pictures, baseballs, books, toys, and a myriad of other things jumbled together within the confines of the cardboard box. Jimmy looked at Sarah as if she had deeply offended him with her question.

"Of course it's fun, Sarah! There's nothing like digging through old things and finding something cool!" Jimmy answered enthusiastically, causing Sarah to roll her eyes for the second time that day.

"If you say so..." Sarah responded hesitantly as Jimmy sat down on the floor and began digging around in the box. He stopped for a moment and looked up at Sarah, who was still staring down at the box apprehensively.

"Come on, Sarah, don't stand there doing nothing! Have fun!" Jimmy suggested as he went back to looking in the box.

"This is something I'd expect from Double D, Jimmy," Sarah complained before sitting down beside him and watching his hands move random objects around.

"Well you should expect the unexpected, Sarah, cause look what I found!" Jimmy proclaimed before pulling out an old record. Sarah felt like smacking herself on the forehead, but resisted the urge.

"Wow, an old dusty record..." Sarah responded sarcastically.

"Well, I think it's nice," Jimmy huffed as he laid it delicately in his lap. He stuffed his hands back into the cardboard box and started to look around again.

"Let's just go play outside or something, Jimmy, this is so boring," Sarah suddenly said as she stood up, tired of watching Jimmy waste their time on an old box of junk. Jimmy stopped and then sighed, his hands still in the box.

"Okay... I guess if this is no fun to you, then there's not a point in doing it..." Jimmy answered, although it was clear he was depressed about the way Sarah was treating him and his interests. Sarah frowned, a bit disheartened at his lamentation.

"Look, I'm not saying it wouldn't be exciting any other time, but it's a really nice day outside! We should be out playing jump rope and playing in the sandbox!" Sarah explained as she grabbed Jimmy by the arm and pulled him to his feet. He looked over at her and gave a little smile.

"I guess you're right... let's just put this old box away for some other time," Jimmy responded before reaching down toward the box. As he reached for the sides of the box, his hand grazed the edge of an old picture frame, causing him to recoil away from the box in pain. "Ow!" he exclaimed as he held his hand tightly, pain ripping through it.

"What happened?" Sarah asked, concerned that Jimmy might've seriously cut himself. He held his hand over to Sarah, trying his best to suck up the pain. There was a small red line where the picture frame had touched him, but not much else. Still, Sarah knew that Jimmy wasn't exactly the most resistant person to pain, so she knew this was probably a big deal for him. "It doesn't look too bad, Jimmy... you should just go put a bandage on it," Sarah suggested as she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Good idea!" Jimmy answered before turning around and starting to head toward the bathroom to fetch a box of bandages.

"And hey, I'll even put this box away for you if you want," Sarah offered as she watched Jimmy walk away.

"Okay, well just take it to my room!" Jimmy called back to her as he walked into a different room. With that, Sarah reached down toward the box, ready to heave it to Jimmy's room. Sarah stopped, however, when something in the box caught her eye. "What's that?" Sarah whispered to herself before reaching down toward the object. Sarah had to move some things aside, but she managed to grab hold of the object. She pulled it out of the box and held it up in front of her. It was a dusty, black handheld tape recorder. Sarah knew that, although it was old, it was still technically Jimmy's, meaning that she shouldn't mess with it. But she was curious to see if there was a tape in it, so she popped it open, and, lo and behold, there was a tape in the tape recorder. "I wonder what's on it..." Sarah muttered as she closed the tape recorder back up. She looked up to make sure that Jimmy hadn't walked back into the room, and then looked back down at the tape recorder. Her thumb moved to the play button, and, with a little pressure, the button went down and the tape started to play. Sarah held her breath, not knowing what to expect.

"_..._" There was silence, save for a bit of ambient noise and static. Sarah sighed, not very surprised that it was a blank tape. She was hoping for something a little more exciting, but she figured it was no big loss. Her thumb moved to the stop button. "_Jimmy doesn't wa-_" Sarah jumped a little and her thumb hit the stop button. Her heart started pounding hard against her chest. She had to be hearing things... but no, she had heard it. A small, raspy voice had just started to say something about Jimmy, although she had stopped the tape out of surprise before it could go on any farther. She contemplated listening more, but the voice had unnerved her so much; it sounded so inhuman and warped that the thought of hearing again honestly scared her a bit. But curiosity once again began to wash over her, and she once again looked up to make sure Jimmy hadn't walked back into the room before moving her thumb back to the play button. She gave a little pressure, and the button once again went down. "_-sh his hands after using the bathroom,_" the raspy, inhuman voice finished as she listened carefully. Sarah stopped the tape and then stood there for a moment, letting the information sink into her mind.

"Who would record something stupid like that on a-" Sarah began to whisper mindlessly to herself.

"Alright, Sarah, I'm all better now!" Jimmy exclaimed as he suddenly reentered the room. On instinct, Sarah moved the tape player behind her back, hiding it from Jimmy's view.

"S-So you bandaged it all up?" Sarah asked, although her mind was still locked onto the strange tape recorder and the mysterious voice that was on the tape.

"Yep, and I think I did a pretty good job," Jimmy answered as he held up his hand to show a bandage that was wrapped around it.

"Well I'm just glad that picture frame didn't hurt you too bad..." Sarah responded as she gave him a smile.

"Me too... I'm just lucky I didn't get a splinter from that thing," Jimmy commented as he looked down at the old picture frame that was sticking out of the box. "Hey... didn't you say you were gonna take this box to my room for me?" he asked, suddenly realizing that the box was still in the spot that he had left it. Sarah's eyes widened as she realized that he was right.

"Oh yeah... well... I'm... I'm sorry, I just started thinking about my idiot brother and some of the stupid stuff he said earlier... I guess I just zoned out, ya know?" Sarah explained as Jimmy nodded slowly.

"I understand, I do that sometimes too," Jimmy answered as he played with a loose part of the bandage on his hand; noticing that he was distracted, Sarah discreetly stuffed the tape recorder into her pocket.

"Now let's get this box to your room," Sarah suggested as she reached down toward the box and picked it up; although it was clearly heavy, it was no problem for Sarah, who, although much smaller, had a strength that rivaled her brother's.

* * *

"More tea, Miss Sarah?" Jimmy asked as he held a tea pot in his hands. He had removed the bandage from his hand about an hour ago after the pain had finally faded away. It ended up that the picture frame hadn't even pierced his skin, much to his relief.

"Of course, Sir Jimmy, more tea would be lovely," Sarah answered as she held her tea cup up to him. Sarah and Jimmy were both sitting out in Jimmy's backyard at a small pink table. Their favorite dolls, Mr. Yum Yum and Dolly Poo Poo were sitting in chairs beside each of them.

"There you go," Jimmy said as he carefully poured some tea into Sarah's tea cup.

"Thank you so very much, Sir Jimmy," Sarah said before lifting the cup up to her mouth and sipping some tea from it. Jimmy sat the tea pot back down and then took a sip from his own tea cup. Sarah looked over at Dolly Poo Poo as if she had said something, and then looked at Jimmy. "Sir Jimmy, Dolly Poo Poo says that she is just famished. When will the royal cupcakes be ready?" she questioned as she stared across the table at Jimmy, who had just sat his tea cup down.

"Ah yes, thank you for reminding me, Miss Sarah. Chef Yum Yum and I will go and fetch the cupcakes at once!" Jimmy proclaimed before grabbing Mr. Yum Yum and running toward his house. Sarah grinned as she watched Jimmy enter his house through his backdoor. She looked back over at Dolly Poo Poo and saw that she was slouching to the side a bit.

"Now now, Dolly, you must practice good posture if you are to be a queen someday!" Sarah explained as she reached over and sat Dolly Poo Poo back up.

"Chef Yum Yum and I have returned with a delicious batch of freshly made royal cupcakes, Miss Sarah!" Jimmy announced as he carried a tray of cupcakes in his hands, Mr. Yum Yum tucked under his arm.

"They smell just delightful, Sir Jimmy!" Sarah commented as Jimmy sat the tray of cupcakes down on the table. He put Mr. Yum Yum back in his seat and then looked over at Sarah.

"In that case, Miss Sarah, you may have the first cupcake!" Jimmy answered as he grabbed one of the cupcakes off of the tray and held it up to her. Sarah giggled and then reached for the cupcake. _Jimmy doesn't wash his hands after using the bathroom_. Her hand froze inches from the cupcake, and she stared at Jimmy's hand with wide eyes. It was just a stupid voice on a tape. It didn't mean anything. But she could hear the voice in the back of her mind, as if it was trying to leave a small reminder about his nasty little secret.

"Uh... actually, I'm not hungry anymore, Sir Jimmy," Sarah admitted as she quickly withdrew her hand from the cupcake. Jimmy stared at her for a moment, a bit perplexed by her sudden refusal to take a cupcake that she just said smelled tasty.

"But why not, Miss Sarah? I baked them especially for you!" Jimmy said as he continued to smile.

"It's not that I don't want the cupcake... it's just that..." Sarah began as her eyes shifted away from Jimmy's smiling face. She didn't know what to say, but she did know she had to get out. She couldn't take the cupcake; after all, she knew that Jimmy hadn't washed his hands, and she just couldn't bear the thought of eating a cupcake that he had touched. "I gotta get home and make sure Ed doesn't break the TV... yeah..." she finished awkwardly as she began to scoot back in her chair. Jimmy's smile faltered a bit.

"Then you can take the cupcake and eat it on the way," Jimmy suggested as he still held the cupcake toward her. Sarah stood up and continued to stare at the cupcake that was in his hand. "It's just a cupcake, Sarah, it won't bite," he added, still confused as to why Sarah was acting so strange.

"Look, I'm really not hungry... I should just get going..." Sarah answered, although she didn't take her eyes off of the cupcake. She reached for Dolly Poo Poo and snatched her out of the chair. Jimmy sat the cupcake back down on the tray and watched as Sarah began to back away from him. "I'm sorry, Jimmy... I'll... I'll talk to you later, okay?" she said before darting away from him and out of his yard. Jimmy did nothing but watch her as she ran, left to wonder why Sarah was acting so weird.

* * *

Sarah sat on her front porch as she stared down at the tape recorder, which she held lightly in her hand. She still didn't know why she had chosen to believe the voice on the tape; after all, it was an old tape from a box of very old things, for all she knew it could be talking about Jimmy when he was younger and first being potty trained. She began to feel very stupid, and she knew that she'd have to go apologize to Jimmy for being so mean. She also knew that she had to tell him about the tape recorder, since it did belong to him. "Hey, Sarah, what are you doing?" Nazz asked as she walked across Sarah's yard, causing Sarah to look up.

"Uh..." Sarah was at a loss for words for a moment, but she quickly recovered. "Just thinking about some things," she answered as she slid the tape recorder into her pocket, hoping that Nazz hadn't spotted it.

"Oh, well sorry to interrupt your thinking," Nazz apologized as she walked up to Sarah. "Anyway, do you mind if I go inside your house for a moment?" she asked as Sarah's face scrunched up in confusion.

"Sure, but why would you wanna go in there? There's no one but my brother inside," Sarah explained, remembering that her brother was still standing in front of the television. The power had come back on some time ago, but she figured that Ed had probably tried to fix it himself anyway and screwed it up further.

"Oh, I just need to see Ed about something," Nazz answered before shrugging. She then walked past Sarah and went into the house, shutting the door lightly behind her. Sarah stared at the door for a moment, still a little confused. Nazz wanting to see her brother? That was perhaps the oddest thing she had heard today, almost as strange as the tape recorder, which she still had in her pocket.

"The tape recorder," she whispered aloud, suddenly remembering the object of her thoughts. Sarah, seeing that no one was around, pulled it back out and began to stare at it once again. It was a bit scratched in places, and it was a little dirty as well. Even so, the light from the sun up above glinted off of it and caught her eye. She almost didn't notice the fact that her thumb had slid onto the play button. She stopped herself when she felt the muscles in her thumb tightening. "No... I can't..." she whispered to herself. She knew that this tape was probably just some family memories or something; after all, the strange sound of the voice on the tape could just be because it was old and the audio had been warped. Still, she felt an urge inside of her to hear more. What harm could it do? She slowly pushed the play button down and then let the tape begin to play. There was silence for only a few moments, but it felt like ages to Sarah as she listened closely, not letting a breath escape from her mouth.

"_Nazz has a crush on Ed_" the raspy voice issued forth, causing Sarah to gasp. She hit the stop button, and silence filled the air around her, save for the sounds of a summer day. She sat there for a few minutes, just letting the information sink in. Nazz... and Ed? Sarah couldn't believe what she had just heard from the tape. There was no way an old, dusty tape recorder with an old, dusty tape in it could possibly know anything about Nazz and Ed, especially not any sort of relationship between them. But she had heard it. In fact, it was as if she could still hear it. She could still make out the tiny, raspy voice repeating what it had said over and over again in some far off place, almost like a distant echo. She continued to sit there, not knowing what to do with the new found information. It could be a lie; after all, she still didn't even know if what the tape had said about Jimmy was true. But how could whoever made this tape know anything about Nazz or Ed? Sarah didn't recognize the voice of the person on the tape, and, although the possibility of distortion was still there, the voice sounded eerily clear, however inhuman it seemed...

Sarah suddenly realized that Nazz had just went inside to see Ed for some mysterious reason. It almost seemed obvious that she should think of it sooner, since the tape had just mentioned Nazz and Ed, but it took a few minutes to click for some reason. She stood up and looked at the door behind her. Nazz was in there with Ed, and Sarah had no idea why Nazz wanted to see him. Could it be that she was going in there for some one on one time with her crush? She couldn't help but let a sly little smirk creep across her face. This was almost too good; although she wasn't sure how it was possible, this tape seemed to know things about people, and it was time for her to see if it was telling the truth. She reached for the doorknob and carefully turned it. She peeked inside the house and, seeing that neither Nazz nor Ed were in the living room, she stepped carefully inside and shut the door quietly behind her. "Where could they be?" Sarah muttered to herself as she looked around the living room. Ed had left his post at the television, which looked like an utter wreck, and Nazz was nowhere to be found as well. She figured the only other place they could be was Ed's room, and, still wanting to see whether the tape was full of it or not, she began to walk silently toward the basement door.

The doorknob of the basement door turned slowly, and Sarah managed to open it enough for her to slip inside without making a sound. She began to sneak down the staircase, deciding to leave the basement door open behind her in case she had to make a quick escape. Once she reached the bottom of the staircase, she could hear Nazz and Ed talking softly from inside of Ed's room, and she could also see that his door was cracked open. She could feel sweat beginning to form on her forehead as she started to slowly make her way toward the crack in Ed's door; she didn't know whether the sweat was from excitement or fear. She stopped right next to Ed's door, debating in her head whether or not she could take a peek without being spotted. She suddenly realized that Ed and Nazz were no longer talking. She wondered to herself if something else was going on in Ed's room. Sarah, not able to contain her curiosity any longer, slowly moved her head toward Ed's door. She peered through the small opening, and slapped her mouth over her hand.

Nazz and Ed were standing next to his bed, and they had their arms tightly wrapped around each other in an embrace. Ed had his back to Sarah, but she could see that Nazz had a little smile on her face, and her eyes were squeezed tightly shut. Sarah stepped back from the door, not believing what she had seen. The tape was telling the truth; Nazz did like Ed, and it looked like she had just told him or something. She could feel a despicable grin forming on her face; this was just the ammo she could use, against both Ed and Nazz. She knew she could tick off a lot of people in the cul-de-sac with this sort of juicy information. Kevin would likely blow a gasket over finding out Nazz had a thing for Ed, and he would probably beat Ed black and blue. And she also savored the thought that if Nazz ever ticked her off, she could go tell May Kanker that Nazz was trying to steal her man. She knew that May would likely strangle Nazz to within an inch of her life over something like this. Sarah smiled widely as she thought about the best person to tease with this information: Eddy. He would probably get so angry over learning that Nazz liked her stinky brother and not him.

Sarah was so busy fantasizing about the possibilities that she almost didn't hear the sounds of Nazz and Ed walking toward the door to Ed's room. She snapped out of her thoughts and realized that she had to get away, or this would look very awkward. She quickly darted toward Ed's stairs and scaled them quickly, trying her best not to make any sounds. She ran out of the basement, not bothering to shut the door behind her, and made her way into the living room. She opened the front door and shut it behind her, and then stood out on her front porch. She could feel adrenaline pumping throughout her entire body, both from the close call and the revelation that the tape had given her, which was still at the front of her mind. "I wonder what else this tape can tell me..." Sarah muttered to herself as she looked down at the tape recorder, which was gripped firmly in her hand.

Sarah looked around the cul-de-sac, which was still as empty as ever. She began to run along the sidewalk; she had to find a place to listen to the tape recorder in privacy. Sure, there was her room, but Ed or her mom could come barging in at a moment's notice. No, she had to find a secretive place that no one would bother her in. As she ran past Rolf's house, she suddenly stopped upon hearing some strange noises emanating from his backyard. It sounded like his chickens were going crazy back there; she could hear a lot of movement and clucking. She thought about whether she should keep on course and find a place to listen to the tape, or go and see what was up with Rolf's animals. "Come back here, Rolf promises it will be fast!" Sarah heard Rolf's voice shout from behind his house. That was the last straw; her curiosity once again took over, and she began to sneak across Rolf's front yard. She rounded the side of his house and stopped at the fence that designated the boundaries of his backyard. She peered into the yard and saw that Rolf was chasing around a pack of three chickens that were running wild throughout his yard.

"What a waste of time..." Sarah muttered, not realizing it was something so mundane. She watched as Rolf finally caught the three chickens that were running from him and gathered them up in his arms.

"I'm sorry, my feathered friends, but it must be done," Rolf said ominously as he walked toward his shed, which had an eerie light dancing inside.

"Okay..." Sarah said in a shaky voice, a little freaked out by the way Rolf was sounding. The strange light that was flickering inside of his shed unnerved her as well. Rolf reached the entrance to the shed and threw the chickens inside. He then turned around to scan his yard with his eyes; Sarah ducked down out of sight, scared that he might spot her. After a few minutes of being on the ground, Sarah decided she had waited long enough; she stood back up and looked at Rolf's shed to see that the door was now tightly shut. "That was so weird," she muttered to herself as she continued to stare at the shed in confusion. She suddenly realized that perhaps the tape could tell her what Rolf was up to. She looked down at the tape, debating on whether or not she should try it. After all, how did she know the next person it would talk about would be Rolf? She didn't wait to debate the question in her head; she moved her thumb to the play button and pressed it down. Sarah waited for a few moments, knowing that the voice seemed to be separated by some static every time. This time she could hear some strange noises in the background sound of the tape; she couldn't make out what they were.

"_Every year, Rolf sacrifices his chickens to a pagan god,_" the raspy voice screeched, no longer sounding so small and weak. Sarah shut off the tape and looked up at Rolf's shed, afraid that he had heard the terrifying voice and its revelation. Seeing that the shed door was still shut, Sarah took this moment to process the information that the tape had revealed to her. She didn't know what the word "pagan" meant, but it sounded like Rolf performed some sort of ritual every year as part of his religion, although Sarah didn't know what it was, since she never really asked him what he believed in. Even so, this was almost too much to believe; sure, Rolf was weird, but he didn't seem like the type to needlessly murder the animals he cared so much for. Sarah knew she had to check this out and see if the tape was telling the truth. But this time she was actually a little scared; she could still hear Rolf's ominous words about what must be done, and she could still see the eerie red light that was emanating from within his shed.

Sarah gathered up all of her courage and hopped Rolf's fence. She felt her feet hit the soft dirt of his yard and sink in a little. Her eyes were locked on Rolf's shed as she began to take the first few steps across his yard. She could hear muffled noises within the shed as she drew closer and closer. She could feel her breathing getting unsteady when she was within a few feet of the door. Sarah stopped at the door and stayed perfectly quiet, trying to listen to what was going on within. She could hear the chickens inside struggling and making noises. She knew it was risky, but she had to see what was going on inside. She slowly brought her hand toward the handle on the shed door, and she held her breath as her fingers wrapped around the handle, which felt rusty and cold. Suddenly, the sound of metal hitting wood sounded out several times in quick succession and the clucking suddenly stopped. Sarah didn't know whether or not she should look inside or run now. But she took a chance and opened the door a little. She could see the strange light, which poured out of the doorway and washed over her. As the door continued to open, she saw that the light was coming from an old lantern on the floor. Sarah gasped when the door made a large creaking sound, but that's not what made her gasp; there was blood all over the floor, and it seemed to be running in everything direction like tiny little rivers.

"What are you doing here, sister of the Ed-boy?" Rolf suddenly asked as he appeared in front of her. Sarah looked up in fear at Rolf, who towered above her. Her mouth fell open when she saw the bloody apron that he was wearing, as well as a butcher knife in his hand that was soaked in blood. Something suddenly clicked in Sarah's mind, and one word popped into her head: run.

"Stay away from me, you creep!" Sarah screamed before racing off toward the woods behind Rolf's house. She ran into the twilight of the trees and kept running. She didn't look back to see if Rolf was following her as she crashed through bushes and jumped over logs. Trees whizzed by her as she weaved through them at blinding speed. She could feel briars and sticks clinging to her clothing as she ran, but she didn't care to stop and remove them; all she knew was that she had to get as far away from Rolf as possible. She burst through a line of bushes and kept running into a clearing. She finally looked behind her, and she could see that she wasn't being pursued. Sarah began to slow down, and she finally stopped after a few moments. She began to suck in large amounts of air, the wild dash she just did sucking the energy out of her. She felt her body slowly cooling down, and her brain started to function normally again. That was perhaps the scariest thing she had ever seen. She didn't know what to do, or whether she should tell somebody about it. After all, she didn't think it was against the law to kill ones own livestock, but that didn't make any less terrifying. she finally began to look at her surroundings, and she once again felt a tinge of fear within her: she was standing in the middle of the trailer park.

Sarah gulped down some saliva and then began to slowly look around her. There were several trailers of all shapes and sizes around her, but she was only looking for one in particular. As she turned around, her eyes locked on a familiar blue trailer. _Kankers _Sarah thought as she began to back away from it. Lucky for her, it seemed that the Kankers weren't outside. Still, she knew they could be inside of their trailer, and she didn't want to do anything to bring them out of it. She began to back away from the trailer, which was about a dozen yards in front of her, but she stopped when she noticed that the lights were off in the trailer. She stared at the trailer for a few moments, wondering what it could mean. "Maybe their power is still out..." Sarah whispered to herself. Her mind began to wander to another possibility: what if the Kankers were doing something strange as well? After all, it seemed that she was finding out strange secrets about everyone today, so it would make sense. Still, she knew she couldn't stand there and play the tape out loud. The last message it had delivered to her was very loud, so she wasn't sure if the voice would go back to a whisper or start screaming.

Finally deciding on what to do, Sarah once again cleared her mind and calmed herself. She began to move toward the Kanker's trailer, making sure to be extra careful this time; she knew if the Kankers caught her sneaking around their trailer, she would be in extreme trouble. She stopped a few feet from the door to the trailer, needing a moment before she continued. She could feel her body shaking in fear and her legs wobbling. If her experience with Rolf had taught her anything, she knew it would be stupid of her to open the door to the trailer. She looked up at the window on the Kankers trailer, and realized that was a better way to see what was going on inside. She looked around her for something that she could stand on; she saw an old tire, some cans strewn around, and a random crowbar laying up against a nearby trailer. She finally spotted a clothes bin that the Kankers had probably left outside. She ran over to it and grabbed it, and then returned to window on the Kankers' trailer. She put the clothes bin upside down next to the trailer and then hopped on top of it. Despite the additional height the clothes bin granted her, Sarah still couldn't get eye level with the window. She began to jump up and down on the clothes bin, trying to at least get a glimpse inside of the trailer.

"Feels weird to walk around here, huh?" Sarah heard someone say from nearby as she jumped up to the window and got a brief glimpse inside; all she saw was darkness. She landed on the clothes bin and whirled around, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Yes, well, I don't really see the point of us even coming to this place," Sarah heard another person respond. Acting fast, she jumped off of the clothes bin and flipped it back over. She quickly dived under the Kankers trailer to get out of sight. She then peered out from under the trailer, ignoring the nasty things she felt crawling around under the trailer with her. She soon saw two people come into view: it was Edd and Eddy. _What are they doing here? _Sarah thought to herself. It was stupid for a regular person like her to come to the trailer park, but it was suicide for the Eds to do so, for obvious reasons.

"Oh come on, Double D, don't you like the feeling of not having to run for your life?" Eddy asked as he and Edd stopped right in front of the Kankers' trailer. Sarah listened closely, suddenly realizing that they were talking about something very interesting.

"I suppose so... still, we shouldn't stick around here too long, Eddy. It could look suspicious," Edd responded as he looked around to make sure no one was watching.

"Aw, quit your worrying, sockhead," Eddy began as he smirked at Edd. "It's just you, me, and the worms; no one in their right mind would come out here," he explained as Edd nodded.

"Oh, you're probably right," Edd answered as he returned Eddy's smile.

"Of course I am!" Eddy exclaimed as he walked up to the Kankers' trailer, mere inches from Sarah's hiding place. He then reared his foot back and kicked the trailer, which caused a metal echo to sound out; Sarah covered her ears and closed her eyes at the loud sound. "I'm just glad those Kankers won't be a problem for our scams," he commented before turning back to Edd. "Now let's get the heck out of here," he suggested as he began to walk back the way they came. Sarah watched as Edd and Eddy strolled casually away. She was confused beyond belief. Why wouldn't the Kankers be a problem for their scams? And why would Edd and Eddy even come to the trailer park in the first place? Once Edd and Eddy were out of sight, Sarah crawled out from under the trailer and wiped herself clean of the bugs and junk that had clung to her clothes. She knew one way she could learn what Edd and Eddy were up to. She looked down at the tape recorder, which she had never let go of. She sighed as her thumb hovered above the play button. She wasn't sure if she wanted to listen to the tape recorder this time. The last little truth it had revealed was almost too much for her, and she hated to imagine what sort of secrets it could tell her about Edd or Eddy.

Sarah stared at the tape recorder, her mind debating with itself on whether or not pressing the button would be a good idea. She almost felt like she should just put it into her pocket and walk away. But the urge inside of her to know was so strong. It was almost like an addiction to her, and she had to feed it. Sarah felt her muscles tense up, and she pressed the play button on the tape recorder.

* * *

All was quiet in the junkyard. Piles of trash and thrown out valuables littered its surface, and massive piles of junk climbed skywards, almost looking like a mountain range rising out of the ground. Pigeons, seagulls, and other birds pecked at the ground and flew overhead, finding whatever food scraps they could. A lone figure moved through this wasteland of tossed out possessions, her eyes wild and her body coursing with fear. Her feet pattered on the ground as she scampered around the imposing hills of scrap, their sound echoing around the junkyard and scaring birds away. Her brain was working in overdrive as it clung on to the desperate hope that what she had heard on the tape was a lie. There was no way it was true, despite the fact that her precious tape hadn't been wrong so far. Sarah stopped in a clearing between two especially large piles of trash to catch her breath and think about where to look. She had searched around the entire junkyard, but she had found nothing, much to her relief.

A pigeon suddenly cooed, causing Sarah to look up. And her mouth fell open in horror at what she saw. She fell to her knees as she stared at three plots of freshly dug dirt that were hidden in a small alcove of junk. She could suddenly hear the raspy voice slowly repeating its revelation. It started out small, but began to grow louder and louder, almost as if it was coming nearer and nearer. She tried to cover her ears with her hands to shut out the voice, but it was no use; it simply began to scream with more force, causing Sarah to shake with a pain she could not combat. She felt like her head was going to explode if the voice kept it up. The voice suddenly stopped. Sarah looked around, her hands still on her ears. She slowly removed her hands, and put them into her lap. Her eyes returned to the three plots of dirt. The voice suddenly came back one more time, this time a quiet whisper:

"_Double D__ and Eddy murdered the Kankers and buried them in the junkyard._"

* * *

Sarah ran up the lane as fast as she could, desperate to reach the safety of her house. Her feet pounded on the hard dirt of the lane as she pushed herself to run faster and faster. She had to reach her house so she could hide. But she knew she had to call the cops first. What Edd and Eddy had done was horrible. She didn't like the Kankers herself, but taking their lives? It was just too much. She could feel tears trying to force their way out of her eyes, but she managed to keep herself under control. She reached the end of the lane and rounded the corner toward the cul-de-sac, but skidded to a halt when she came face to face with Jimmy, who jumped back a little in surprise at Sarah's sudden appearance. "Thank goodness I found you, Sarah," he began as he recovered from his surprised state. "I was so worried about you, you were acting really weird earlier and-"

"I'm sorry, Jimmy, but there's no time!" Sarah interrupted in a panicked voice. "I've got to get home to my phone!" she exclaimed before trying to run past Jimmy. He blocked her way, however, and a look of concern formed on his face.

"What's going on, Sarah? You looked spooked!" Jimmy stated as he stared at her face, which was ghost white.

"Look, I gotta go, and I've gotta-"

"And... are those tears?" Jimmy asked as he spotted small trickles of water running down her face. "What happened, Sarah? Did someone hurt you?" Jimmy asked, although he would certainly be surprised if someone actually had the guts to lay their hands on Sarah.

"No... no... please, I just have to get home and use my phone," Sarah responded as she continued to try and get around Jimmy.

"Sarah, I just want to help," Jimmy countered as he gave her a pleading look. Sarah was about ready to shove him out of the way and start running to her house, but she suddenly realized that it would be better if he knew the truth as well. After all, he was her best friend, and, even though he apparently didn't wash his hands when he went to the bathroom, that was nothing compared to the dark secret Edd and Eddy were harboring.

"Listen... Jimmy..." Sarah began as she tried her best to control her emotions. "Don't... don't freak out over what I'm about to tell you..." she requested as she took his hands into hers. He nodded his head slowly in response. Sarah cleared her throat and blinked a few times to clear her head. "Okay... I... I was in the trailer park and-"

"Oh no, those nasty Kanker sisters didn't do something to you, did they?" Jimmy interrupted as he stared at her in fear. Sarah winced a little at the mentioning of their name, but she quickly recovered.

"No, they didn't... and they won't be able to..." Sarah said as she lowered her voice, afraid that someone could be listening in.

"What do you-"

"Just listen this time, and don't talk until I'm finished," Sarah ordered. Jimmy once again nodded in response. "Okay... I was in the trailer park and I was about to leave when I noticed that the Kankers' trailer was dark... so I went over to it and looked inside, and they weren't there," she explained as Jimmy listened closely. "That was a little weird, but then it got even weirder when Double D and Eddy showed up and started talking about how they wouldn't have to worry about the Kankers ruining their scams anymore," she rattled on. Sarah didn't notice, but her voice was very shaky and weak and tears were running down her face like waterfalls.

"And... and what happened next?" Jimmy asked, forgetting that Sarah said not to speak until she was done.

"Then they left, and-" Sarah stopped for a moment when she realized that bringing up the tape recorder probably wasn't a good idea. She didn't know whether Jimmy knew of its power or not, since she did find it in a box from his house, but she knew that she couldn't bring it up. It would make her seem crazy, and Sarah needed Jimmy to be on her side for what she was about to say. "-I... I headed to the junkyard, and there were these three plots of dirt, and I just couldn't take it, so I ran back here and-"

"Oh my God," Jimmy interrupted as his eyes widened and his mouth fell open. The realization of what Sarah was implying here had finally dawned upon him, and it hit him like a ton of bricks. he stood there for a few moments like that, and Sarah simply stared at him, tears still streaming down her face. "Are you trying to tell me that... that... that..." he stuttered, not able to get the words out.

"Double D and Eddy killed the Kankers!" Sarah exclaimed loudly, not being able to contain the secret within herself any longer. It took a few moments for her words to sink into Jimmy's brain. Sarah sniffled a bit as Jimmy began to breathe heavy, and he gulped down some spittle as he stared at the pale face of his best friend.

"What... what do we do?" Jimmy asked as his eyes began to tear up as well. Sarah didn't know how to answer; yes, she knew that she still had to go and call the cops, but the way Jimmy worded it made her specifically think about what the two of them would do about it. What could they do? Sarah could barely handle this shocking truth. She was only eight, after all, and the death of a group of people, even if they were a group of people that she absolutely despised, was almost too much for her to handle. She hoped that phoning the cops would put this situation into better hands than either Jimmy or herself could offer. She let go of one of Jimmy's hands and wiped her face clear of tears and then cleared her throat.

"Let's get to my house and call the cops... then we'll figure out what we should do," Sarah suggested to a scared and trembling Jimmy. "That sound good?" she asked, hoping that her plan was sufficient to calm him down a little.

"Let's just hurry, Sarah... we can't let them get away with this!" Jimmy exclaimed as his face scrunched up, suddenly feeling a need for urgency.

"Then let's go!" Sarah responded as she gripped Jimmy's hand tightly, ignoring the voice in her head that reminded her about his little secret. The two of them then went racing up the sidewalk and toward the cul-de-sac, their desperate mission burning in their heads. They quickly reached the entrance of the cul-de-sac and kept racing up the sidewalk and toward Sarah's house. As they neared it, they skidded to a halt when they spotted a strange sight: Rolf, Nazz, Jonny, and Eddy all stood in Sarah's yard, where Ed, Kevin, and Edd were all working on the television that Ed had broken. Rolf, Nazz, Jonny, and Eddy were talking to each other, Kevin was sitting next to the television, a box of tools sitting next to him as he worked on the television, Edd was telling Kevin something, and Ed stood by them, watching Kevin's every move fearfully. Sarah and Jimmy just stood there, unsure of what to do, as the kids chatted with one another, not yet noticing their presence.

"What do we do, Sarah? They're all in the way..." Jimmy whispered worryingly. "Even worse, they don't even realize that they're all standing right next to murderers," he added as he stared at Eddy and then at Edd. They didn't look any different to him, but he knew that, if what Sarah said was true, they were dirty, evil monsters on the inside.

"I don't think they've seen us yet," Sarah answered in a low voice as she looked over at Jimmy. "Let's just sneak over to your house and-"

"Hey, Sarah, I've got a bone to pick with you!" Nazz suddenly called out to Sarah, finally noticing her and Jimmy's presence. Sarah stared over at Nazz, who seemed to have a hard look on her face. All the other kids slowly turned to look over at Sarah and Jimmy as well.

"Sarah..." Jimmy whispered to her fearfully, scared to see what was going to happen next. Sarah looked over at Jimmy, who locked eyes with her.

"We've got no choice but to go over there now," Sarah whispered. "But I promise all the others will know about what Double D and Eddy did," she explained before turning her attention back to the kids, who were all still looking at her and Jimmy. Sarah let go of Jimmy's hand and began walking toward Nazz and the others. Her steps felt heavy and unsure. Even though she should be confident, she felt weak and scared. She didn't know how everyone would react to the sickening revelation she carried within her, and she was especially fearful of how Edd and Eddy would react when she spilled the beans on their evil deed. Jimmy, who had stayed behind, too nervous to move, suddenly found strength in his legs, and began to walk behind Sarah, also scared to see how this situation would play out.

"Sarah, why would make Ed do something like this?" Nazz asked as Sarah got within a few yards of her. All eyes were on Sarah as Nazz awaited her response. Sarah eyed the crowd of kids nervously, trying her best to think up a response. She knew the only reason Nazz cared was because she liked Ed, but she didn't know whether or not she should say anything about it; after all, she wanted to have Nazz on her side when she told the truth about Edd and Eddy.

"That doesn't matter right now," Sarah answered, much to Nazz's surprise. "But what does matter is that-"

"It matters to me!" Kevin chimed in as he got up from his perch in front of the television and dusted himself off. "I'm the one who has to sit here and use my dad's tools to fix this stupid thing," he explained, a tinge of anger in his voice.

"Not to mention the fact that Ed's going to get in trouble for this when it was your fault for telling him to fix it!" Eddy chimed in angrily. Sarah's fearful expression twisted into one of anger. It was one thing for Nazz and Kevin to be mad with her, but if Eddy knew what was coming, he would be shaking in his boots rather than angrily yelling at her.

"Yeah, well-"

"Enough arguing, I just want you to say sorry for the trouble you got Ed into," Nazz interrupted. That was the last straw; Sarah was tired of being interrupted, and she was just about fed up of Nazz's self-righteous behavior.

"The only reason you're defending my stupid brother is because you like him!" Sarah retorted as her face turned a little red; a few of the kids gasped at the revelation, while the rest just stood there in confusion. Silence fell over the group, and Sarah's words seemed to hang in the air for few moments.

"W-What?" Nazz finally asked, a bit taken aback by Sarah's accusation.

"Don't play dumb with me, Nazz, you know what I'm talking about!" Sarah added as she slit her eyes at Nazz. Sarah could see out the corner of her eye that Kevin was getting a little angry, and she could see that Eddy was staring up at Ed with anger. Ed himself looked confused and flustered, and he was blushing a little.

"Is that true, Nazz?" Kevin asked, trying to hide the jealousy that was swirling around inside of him. Nazz looked at him, a helpless expression on her face; she was obviously at a loss for words.

"I have no idea what she's talking about!" Nazz answered, trying her best to defend herself.

"Too ashamed to even admit it," Sarah commented as she shook her head in disapproval. "So you were going to keep your little love with Ed a secret, huh?" Sarah asked, enjoying the fact that she was finally getting to Nazz.

"And to think I trusted you, lumpy..." Eddy muttered as he crossed his arms and looked up at Ed, who looked even more dumbstruck than usual.

"But, Eddy, I don't know what Sarah's talking about!" Ed responded as he threw his arms up in the air.

"I can't believe you like that stupid dork, Nazz," Kevin seethed, not caring anymore that he was letting his envy get the better of him.

"B-B-But..." Nazz stuttered, feeling more and more helpless by the moment. Jimmy walked up next to Sarah, just as shocked as everyone else by this revelation.

"Are you for real, Sarah?" Jimmy whispered into her ear, wondering whether or not Sarah was just trying to start a fight or was actually telling the truth.

"You're darn right I'm for real, Jimmy," Sarah said loudly as she looked over at him. Ed and Eddy continued to bicker, as did Nazz and Kevin, all four of them getting heated and falling further into anger and confusion. Rolf, who had been standing next to Jonny, suddenly stepped forward.

"Rolf does not know why Sarah-girl accuses Nazz-girl of hiding a secret love for the bright-as-a-dim-bulb Ed-boy, but Rolf sees that he must put a stop to this petty fighting over love," Rolf announced, causing everyone to shut up. He then looked over at Sarah, a stern look on his face. "Does the sibling of the Ed-boy have any proof of this clandestine love?" he questioned, hoping to finally defuse the situation. Sarah didn't feel the need to answer Rolf's stupid question; not only did she have plenty of proof in the form of the tape recorder, but she also knew Rolf's little secret as well. In fact, she felt the time was ripe for him to squirm just as badly as Nazz and Ed had.

"Why ask me, Rolf?" Sarah countered as she smiled deviously. "Why don't you go sacrifice some more chickens and then ask your little friend in the sky?" Sarah asked, causing Rolf's eyes to go wide.

"Are you trying to accuse Rolf of wasting his own livestock for some petty ritual?" Rolf asked, obviously getting a little angry himself.

"I'm not accusing you of anything, I'm just telling the truth!" Sarah exclaimed. "I guess you conveniently don't remember a few hours ago when you grabbed your chickens, carried them into your shed, and murdered them!" Sarah shouted angrily. Rolf backed up a few steps as all the kids suddenly looked over at them, shocked expressions on their faces.

"How could you kill those poor chickens, Rolf!" Ed exclaimed as his eyes began to tear up.

"But Rolf didn't-"

"What kind of freaky stuff were you doing, Rolf?" Kevin asked as he backed a few feet away from Rolf, feeling uncomfortable being near him.

"Rolf would never-"

"And you all call me and Plank weirdos!" Jonny exclaimed as he held Plank close at his side.

"Enough everyone!" Edd suddenly shouted, causing everyone to fall silent for the second time that day. He was breathing heavily as he stared at the group of kids, obviously getting tired of the constant bickering. He began to cool off from his sudden outburst, and soon he was calm. He looked from the kids to Sarah, who still had a look of dominance on her face. "Why are you doing this, Sarah?" he asked.

"Don't get angry with me, Double D, I'm just telling everyone the truth," Sarah answered.

"Look, even if everything you just said about Nazz, Ed, and Rolf is true, what right do you have to tell everyone's private business like this?" Edd questioned; Nazz and Rolf both nodded in agreement, and Ed just stared at Edd appreciatively. Sarah frowned, knowing that Edd was making a valid point. "All it does is open up a can of worms that will end up being very hard to close," Edd explained further as he looked back over at the group of kids behind him. "Now how about we all calm down and sort these things out... after all, I'm sure most of what Sarah said was simply a misunderstanding," Edd said, happy to see that he was successfully calming everyone down.

"A misunderstanding, huh?" Sarah suddenly chimed in, interrupting Edd's attempts at controlling the situation. "I don't think so, Double D... in fact, I think it's really fitting that you're the one who's preaching about opening up a can of worms," Sarah went on as she stepped towards him. Her heart was beating hard; she was about to blow Edd and Eddy's secret wide open, and she was taking a huge risk by getting near one of them. "Cause it reminds me of all the worms that must be crawling all over the bodies of your three victims," Sarah said, although her voice was starting to shake a little. Edd's face lost a little color as Sarah's eyes locked with his.

"What... what do you mean by that?" Edd asked, the word "victims" unnerving him. Sarah could feel her lips quivering. This was her chance to finally expose Edd and Eddy for the psychopaths that they were. Jimmy watched fearfully from behind Sarah, knowing full well what she was about to reveal. She looked at the faces of all the other kids as she tried her best to gather up the courage to say what she was about to say. They were all watching her, waiting for her to drop yet another truth bomb. But she knew they wouldn't be ready for this one. Nazz and Ed having a secret relationship had started a fight, and the revelation that Rolf killed his own chickens as sacrificial offerings had offended everyone and made them peg Rolf as a freak. But she knew what she was going to say next would likely cause an explosion like none she had ever witnessed.

"You want to know what I mean, Double D?" Sarah questioned as she stared up at his pale face. "Since your memory seems to be faulty, how about you ask your partner in crime, Eddy?" she suggested, causing everyone to look over at Eddy, who was looking at her in disbelief.

"Partner in crime?" Eddy asked as he walked up and stood next to Edd. "What are you talking about, you little brat?" he questioned, not liking the choice of words Sarah was using. Sarah felt like grinning, but she couldn't find it in her. While she would certainly enjoy Edd and Eddy getting sweet justice, what she was about to say was also saddening. She remembered when just minutes ago she was crying over it. In fact, she felt like crying a little right now. But she had to soldier on. She had to get vengeance for those that Edd and Eddy had silenced forever.

"I may be a brat," Sarah admitted as she stared down at the ground, trying to hide the fact that her eyes were getting a little puffy. She had to do it. She had to. "But at least I'm not a _murderer_," she charged as she looked up at Edd and Eddy, finally letting the tears slide down her face. Edd and Eddy gasped at the accusation, and all the kids behind them almost jumped back at what she had said.

"You're... you're joking, right?" Eddy asked in horror. "Me and Double D would never kill some chickens like Rolf did!" Eddy exclaimed in anger. Sarah shook her head.

"Chickens? No," Sarah answered as she swallowed hard. "I was thinking more along the lines of _people_," Sarah added.

"No way..." Kevin muttered as he and the other kids, including Ed, began to back away from Edd and Eddy.

"People? Sarah, what in Sam hill are you talking about?" Edd exclaimed as he stepped toward her. Sarah's sad expression twisted into a snarl.

"Don't you play dumb with me, you psychopathic freak!" Sarah screamed as she lunged forward and shoved Edd to the ground, causing everyone to gasp. "How can you take lives and then stand here and deny it!" she hollered, sick of all the denial.

"We didn't kill anyone, you crazy little goblin!" Eddy yelled back as he grabbed Edd by the arm and yanked him to his feet.

"Didn't kill anyone, huh? Tell that to the three girls who are rotting under some piles of dirt!" Sarah shouted as she stepped forward, her fists shaking in rage at her side. Edd felt his throat close up as he suddenly realized what Sarah was accusing he and Eddy of.

"Are... are you trying to say that you think Eddy and I... that we... that we..." Edd stuttered, the accusation clogging up his brain.

"That you murdered the Kanker sisters!" Sarah shrieked as tears exploded from her eyes. Edd and Eddy fell silent and just stared at the trembling, weeping girl in horror. Sarah couldn't control her emotions anymore, but she was glad the truth was finally out. And just as she expected, Edd and Eddy were speechless in the face of the truth.

"Those... those poor girls..." Nazz moaned as she covered her mouth in horror, her eyes beginning to well up with tears as well. Edd and Eddy whirled around to look at the kids, who all had expressions of terror, fear, and sadness.

"How could you dorks do that to them, man?" Kevin asked, barely able to process the information.

"We-We didn't! S-Sarah's lying!" Eddy retorted, although it was clear he wasn't getting through to the kids. Edd was too scared to even defend himself; he couldn't take his eyes off of Ed's face, which was filled with shame.

"You're just saying that because we know your dirty little secret, dorky!" Kevin suddenly yelled, his shock and horror replaced by fury. "Those Kankers might've been horrible, but that doesn't give you the right to freaking kill them!" he shouted angrily as he stepped toward Edd and Eddy, who backed away in fear. "Not only am I gonna beat the tar out of you dorks, but I'm also gonna call the police and get you two murderers locked up for life!" he yelled as his face turned redder and redder.

"Kevin's right, let's make them pay!" Jonny shouted in agreement as he joined Kevin at his side.

"Please don't, we didn't do it!" Eddy pleaded as the kids began to draw closer and closer. Edd looked over at Ed for help, but Ed just stood there, tears streaming down his face. Kevin reached for Eddy, ready to pummel the heck out of him, but Rolf suddenly grabbed his arm.

"Hold it, hot-head Kevin!" Rolf ordered as he held Kevin's arm firmly.

"What are you doing, Rolf? Eddy and Double D need to pay for this!" Kevin yelled in anger as he tried to yank his arm away from Rolf.

"The Ed-boys need not pay for this because Rolf believes that they did not murder the Kanker-girls!" Rolf proclaimed, causing everyone to look at him in confusion.

"Don't believe him!" Sarah countered as she stepped forward. "Rolf's only saying that because he's an animal killer!" she shouted in anger. She should've known that Rolf, of all people, would try to defend Edd and Eddy; after all, he was almost as bad as them when it came to taking lives.

"Rolf should beat you with his shoe, lying-sibling of the Ed-boy!" Rolf shouted, letting his anger get the better of him. "You have done nothing but spread lies about Rolf and the others, but now it is Rolf's turn, and Rolf shall reveal the truth!" he declared as he let go of Kevin's arm. Kevin stepped back and joined Nazz, Jonny, and Ed, who were all waiting to hear what Rolf had to say. Sarah stared defiantly up at Rolf. She knew she had the upper hand; after all, she had the truth, and all he had was a pack of lies.

"Go ahead then, " Sarah answered, confident in herself.

"Sarah-girl, you accuse Rolf of murdering his chickens, but Rolf did no such thing," Rolf began before sighing. "Rolf may have killed his chickens, yes, but it was with a heavy heart. The three chickens that Rolf killed were stricken with a horrible disease, and Rolf had no choice but to be rid of them, lest they cause Rolf's other chickens to become diseased as well," he explained as he lowered his eyes, obviously still sad about it. Sarah's mouth fell open a little at his story; he was a good liar, she had to give him that.

"Nice little fairy tale, Rolf, but I don't buy it," Sarah answered as she crossed her arms. Sarah was shocked, however, when Nazz stepped forward and joined Rolf at his side.

"I don't think Rolf's lying, Sarah," Nazz admitted as she gathered her thoughts. "In fact, I think that what you said about Ed and I was just a misunderstanding too... you might've seen me comforting Ed about what happened with the television and thought that I liked him or something," she explained as Sarah's arms fell to her sides. Nazz looked over at Ed, whose face was stained with dried up tears. "No offense, big guy, but I like you more as a friend than a boyfriend," she said as she gave him a smile. Ed wiped the tears from his face and smiled back. Sarah grinded her teeth together, anger building up inside of her. How could they stand here and make up these stupid excuses? They were all liars!

"I... I think that may be the case with Eddy and I as well..." Edd spoke up, finally finding some courage inside of him to do so. After all, what Sarah had said about Nazz, Ed, and Rolf was relatively tame compared to what she had said about he and Eddy. He looked over at Sarah and sighed. "I think you might've seen Eddy and I walking through the trailer park. If I remember correctly, we were talking about how the Kankers wouldn't be there to ruin our day," he explained as everyone listened closely. "Well, the reason the Kankers won't be here to ruin our day isn't because we... well... killed them, it's because they went on vacation and won't be coming back for a whole week," he revealed; he was relieved to see that many of the kids expressions softened at his explanation.

"See, Sarah?" Eddy asked as he looked over at Sarah, who had a dead expression on her face. "This was just one big, and I mean big, misunderstanding," he said, happy to see that this crazy train was coming to an end. Sarah couldn't believe any of this. They were all lying. They had to be. They were full of it, and it appeared that she and Jimmy were the only ones who knew it.

"Then what about the three graves in the junkyard?" Sarah asked, suddenly realizing that what she saw at the junkyard still hadn't been explained.

"Ah yes, that is where Rolf buried his three poor chickens after freeing them from their torment," Rolf answered solemnly.

"Sorry about your chickens, Rolf," Nazz said as she patted him on the shoulder. Sarah gawked at the kids, not believing the sudden turn of events.

"So now that that's all cleared up," Edd began as his breathing went back to normal, "let's all just settle down and-"

"No!" Sarah shouted furiously as she raised her fist in the air. She had had enough of this. She wasn't going to let any of them get away with their horrible lies. She knew what she had seen. She knew what she had heard. "Me and Jimmy both know that you're all lying!" Sarah declared as the kids all stared at her in shock at her renewed anger. Sarah turned around and looked at Jimmy, who had a scared expression on his face. "Isn't that right, Jimmy?" she asked, expecting him to be on her side. He looked at her fearfully, and he began to move around her.

"Actually... I think this is all a misunderstanding too..." Jimmy answered timidly as he continued to strafe around her. Sarah looked at him in disbelief as he suddenly rushed away and joined the kids at their side.

"Jimmy... how... how could you?" Sarah asked, feeling betrayed.

"Because, I think you just saw some things and took them the wrong way," Jimmy answered. Sarah began to breathe heavy, and her bottom lip began to quiver.

"Sarah?" Ed said in concern, finally breaking out of his silence. Sarah backed away from the kids, their stares making her uncomfortable. This wasn't right. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. She was supposed to come here and make Edd and Eddy pay for what they did. But now all the kids had turned on her.

"I... I know you're all lying..." Sarah whined, not understanding why this was happening.

"Just calm down, Sarah," Jimmy pleaded as he reached out towards her. She suddenly swatted his hand away, and he recoiled in pain.

"Keep your unwashed hands away from me," Sarah seethed as Jimmy looked at her in confusion. She then turned her attention to the group of kids. "You all think you're so smart... you all think you can fool me... but I know the truth! You're all a bunch of liars, freaks, and murderers, and I have the proof!" she shouted at the kids, who were all obviously concerned about her fanatic ranting. She reached into her pocket to finally retrieve the piece of evidence that would prove everything she was saying was true. Her fingers wrapped around the tape recorder and she yanked it out of her pocket. "All the evidence I need is right here on this tape recorder," she explained as she held it up for the kids to see.

"You mean someone recorded all of this onto a tape?" Edd asked, a little perplexed.

"Yes," Sarah answered as she gathered all the thoughts swirling around in her brain. "I don't know how they knew all this stuff, but I trust the person who recorded this tape because everything they said I saw with my own two eyes," she explained before looking down at the tape. "And now I'm going to let all of you liars hear for yourselves the truth, and maybe it will snap you out of your denial." The kids, although suspicious about Sarah's claims of a tape that revealed everything, stepped towards her, ready to listen to the tape in question. Sarah rewound the tape a little bit, wanting everyone to hear the part about Edd and Eddy's evil deed. She hesitated a bit as her thumb hovered over the play button.

"Play it, Sarah," Jimmy said, curious to hear what was on the tape, but also fearful at the same time. Sarah sucked in a breath of air as her thumb began to press down on the play button. She could almost hear the voice from the tape talking to her in her mind as her thumb pressed the play button all the way down.

_Sarah, a person who is obsessed with secrets and the power she can wield with them, has eaten up every vile little secret her precious tape recorder has revealed to her. Little does she know, however, this particular tape recorder has one last secret to reveal, courtesy of the Twilight Zone._

_"Double D__ and Eddy murdered the Kankers and buried them in the junkyard," _the tape said as everyone listened. Sarah's thumb instinctively hit the stop button when it was over. This was supposed to be the part where Sarah laughed with triumph as the kids ripped Edd and Eddy to shreds. But instead, all she could do was stare down at the tape recorder with wide and fearful eyes. The kids all looked from the tape and then at Sarah's face, which was twisted into an expression of absolute horror.

"Sarah..." Jimmy began as he looked at her in fear and confusion. "The person on the tape is... you!" Sarah suddenly realized that the only secret the tape had revealed to her was that she was completely insane.


	3. Jonny: Snatcher

**Author's Note:** _Thank you for your reviews, and I'm glad everyone enjoyed the first two installments of this series. Now, however, the third one is here... and I hope you all enjoy yet another trip into The Twilight Zone!_**  
**

* * *

_You unlock this door with the key of imagination, beyond it is another dimension..._

_... a dimension of sound..._

_... a dimension of sight..._

_... a dimension of mind._

_You are moving into a land of both shadow and substance..._

_... of things and ideas._

_You've just crossed over into..._

_The Twilight Zone._

* * *

"Catch me if you can, Plank!" Jonny called out as he ran down the lane giggling madly. His feet hit the hard dirt of the lane, echoing between the fences that lined both sides of the lane. He suddenly skidded to a stop and looked back down the lane at his best friend, Plank, who was standing there watching him. "Oh, Plank, you are just so lazy, aren't ya?" he joked before running back over to Plank and scooping him up off of the ground where he stood. Jonny held Plank up to his face and smiled at him; Plank smiled back.

_Jonny, age eleven, is a boy many call friendless. Oft seen wondering Peach Creek by his lonesome, Jonny could aptly be described as a loner. Jonny, however, also has perhaps the best friend a person can have: a friend who never leaves his side, always has his back, and will be there for him no matter what. As strong as this bond is, Jonny's friendship with Plank is about to be put through the paces in ways even one as fanciful as Jonny cannot imagine.  
_

"Come on, buddy, let's go see what everyone else is doing!" Jonny suggested before tucking Plank against his side and darting up the lane. He reached the end of the lane and quickly rounded the fence and started toward the cul-de-sac. As he reached the entrance of the cul-de-sac, he spotted Kevin and Rolf tossing a football back and forth in the middle of the cul-de-sac. Jonny smiled widely and began to walk toward the two boys, who were unaware of his presence.

"Go long, Rolf!" Kevin called out as he stretched his arm back back to hurl the football toward the taller boy. Rolf ran as far as he could to the other side of the cul-de-sac, and Kevin tossed the football toward him, the football doing a perfect spiral in the air. Rolf jumped up and caught it in his chest, and fell onto the soft grass of Ed's front lawn. "Ya gotta admit, that one was beautiful!" Kevin bragged to Rolf as Rolf stood up and dusted himself off.

"If you think that was beautiful, then watch as Rolf dazzles your eyes with his amazing skills at tossing the pig skin!" Rolf called out before rearing back for a pass.

"Yeah right, you can't top me, dude!" Kevin answered as Rolf threw it back, Rolf's throw also causing the football to do a perfect spiral. Kevin began to run backwards as he held his hands out, ready to catch Rolf's pass. "Hey, what the-" Kevin exclaimed as he crashed into Jonny. He stumbled and fell to the ground, face-planting into the hard asphalt of the street; Jonny fell backwards and landed gracefully on his behind, Plank still firmly grasped in his hand.

"Hey guys!" Jonny said happily as he stood up and stared down at Kevin, who moaned in pain as he lifted his face off of the ground, which was bright red from the impact. "What are you two doing?" he asked as Kevin stood up and looked at him, a scowl on his battered face.

"We _were_ having a good time until you showed up and got in the way, Jonny," Kevin answered, a tinge of anger in his voice, as he adjusted the hat on his head.

"Rolf has not seen such a beet-red face since Rolf was slapped in the face one hundred times with a wooden paddle for disrespecting his elders," Rolf commented as he joined Kevin at his side. Jonny suddenly looked down at Plank, who still seemed strangely cheery about the whole situation, a smile still plastered on his face.

"Plank says that you should probably put some ointment on that, Kevin!" Jonny exclaimed as he looked back up at Kevin, whose sour expression deepened.

"You're gonna need some ointment when I'm done with you!" Kevin yelled in anger as his fists curled into balls.

"Come on, me and Plank just wanted to hang out with you guys!" Jonny told Kevin as he backed up a little, although he was still upbeat about the whole situation. Kevin sucked in a breath of air and exhaled, trying to vent out his anger without resorting to hitting Jonny.

"Yeah, well we don't need a third wheel around here, Jonny, so how about you go bother someone who deserves to be bothered, like the Eds?" Kevin suggested, wanting to be rid of Jonny so that he and Rolf could go back to throwing the football. Jonny pondered his suggestion for a moment, turning it over in his head.

"But why can't me and Plank play with you guys?" Jonny asked, not understanding that Kevin really didn't want him around.

"Because you and that board of yours are gonna get in the way," Kevin shot back as he glared at Jonny, getting more and more annoyed every second he had to speak with Jonny. "So why don't you go run off and go play with some of your friends, huh?" he suggested.

"But you guys are my friends!" Jonny answered as his grip on Plank tightened. Kevin looked up at Rolf, a sour expression still on his face; Rolf shrugged.

"You are Rolf's comrade in the Urban Rangers, Jonny the wood boy," Rolf began as he stared down at Jonny. "Perhaps Rolf will, how do you say, 'hang out' with you at the next Urban Rangers meeting, yes?" he proposed as he smiled at Jonny.

"Well, that sounds okay... but why can't I just hang out with you guys right now?" Jonny asked, still oblivious to Kevin and Rolf's attempts to get him to leave them alone. Kevin let out an exasperated sigh and laid his hand on Jonny's shoulder.

"Look, Jonny, can't you catch a hint man?" Kevin asked in a peeved tone. "Me and Rolf don't want to 'play' or whatever with you right now, so that means beat it," he explained before taking his hand off of Jonny's shoulder and pointing out in a random direction. Jonny gave him an offended look and backed up a few steps.

"We... we just wanted to hang out with our friends..." Jonny replied in a helpless tone before turning around walking off, a melancholy aura falling around him. Kevin bent down and scooped up the football off of the ground and then looked after Jonny as he walked away.

"Friends... yeah right... why would anyone want to be friends with that weirdo?" Kevin disparaged before turning to Rolf. "Alright, now let's stop thinking about that globe head and get back to my perfect throwing arm!" he recommended as he motioned for Rolf to run back out for another pass. Jonny looked back at Kevin and Rolf, who once again went back to not noticing his presence at all. His expression fluctuated, almost turning to one of hopeless despair as Kevin's words turned over and over again in his head. He turned back away and walked off in a random direction, his day suddenly taking a dark turn.

* * *

Jonny walked through the woods, which were unnaturally bright and cheerful looking due to the beautiful cloudless day that hung overhead. He wished he could suck up some of that happiness and brilliant light to rid himself of his unpleasant mood, but he couldn't shake away the memory of how thoughtless and cold Kevin had been toward him. He didn't think he had done anything to make Kevin mad, so it just seemed like Kevin was being a huge jerk. "What do you think, buddy?" he asked as stopped next to an old, thick tree and looked down at Plank, who appeared to be thinking about how to respond to Jonny's question.

"..." Plank replied as he gave Jonny a smile; Jonny couldn't help but grin back, finding Plank's words to be uplifting.

"Thanks, Plank..." Jonny trailed off as he sighed and looked off into the woods. "I mean, I know you're my friend, but I just don't understand why no one else ever wants to hang out," he began as he resumed his trek through the woods; Plank listened closely, ready for whatever Jonny was about to say. "Everyone always tells me that they'll hang out later, but then when I come to hang out with them they tell me they're too busy and they can't... I just don't get it," he relayed as he kicked a mossy rock with his foot as he walked, the rock sailing off into the woods.

"..." Plank commented; Jonny sighed and nodded slowly.

"I know you're always there for me, but I just wish I could find another friend to spend time with too..." Jonny disclosed as his mind wandered off into thought. "A new friend for both of us," he added as he came upon a clearing he had never been in before, which was surprising; Jonny had done a lot of exploring in the woods, and it was always strange to find a location he had never set foot in. He took a moment to analyze the area with his eyes before going any farther. He could see that the trees here were large and mossy, and he could also see that the ground here hadn't been tread upon very much; vines and grass choked the ground, completely hiding it from sight. Jonny's eyes stopped on a huge concrete pipe that was sticking out of a small incline on the other side of the clearing. It looked very old and unused, and it had vines curling around it in random patterns.

"..." Plank remarked as he too looked around the clearing.

"It is amazing, isn't it?" Jonny answered as he stood there, reluctant to enter the clearing; it almost seemed wrong to disturb such a serene and untouched corner of the woods. He couldn't resist the temptation to explore, however, and so, after another moment of hesitation, he finally moved one of his legs and set his foot down in the thick grass, relishing the feel of the grass sliding around his foot, almost as if it was embracing him and accepting him. Jonny then brought his other leg forward and completely entered the clearing, enjoying the sound of his leg swishing past the long stalks of grass. He then began to slowly stroll the clearing, taking it every minute detail that it had to offer.

"..." Plank asked as he looked up at Jonny, who was lost in a world of his own.

"I don't know... there's so much to see and so much to do here," Jonny replied as he stopped in the middle of the clearing. "I mean, we could climb one of these big tall trees and swing around on the vines like monkeys!" he exclaimed before laughing, Plank laughing as well.

"..." Plank questioned as he looked over at the large concrete pipe; at the end of it was a large pitch black hole, and there seemed to be a perpetual darkness that swirled within it that the sun above them could not penetrate. Jonny stopped a few yards from the pipe and tried to peer into it, although he couldn't make out anything inside of it.

"I don't think that's a good idea, buddy, there could be a wild animal in there..." Jonny answered, his eyes still fixated on the pipe. Even after his warning to Plank, he did have to agree that it was an interesting sight; after all, what exactly was the pipe even doing out here? He thought about it a moment longer, and then sighed. "Well, maybe you're right, Plank. Heck, we could even make a home away from home out here in that pipe," he imagined aloud as he beamed at the thought. "We could come out here and hang out all we wanted to if we cleaned it out and put some things in it to make it more welcoming," he added as the wheels in his head turned, his imagination coming alive.

"..." Plank suggested. Jonny looked down at Plank, his face a little apprehensive.

"Well... we could..." Jonny answered, although it was clear he wasn't a fan of the idea. "But don't you think it would be better if we went and got a flashlight before trying to look inside of it?" he asked as his eyes wandered back to the gaping sunless hole of the pipe.

"..." Plank countered as Jonny took his eyes away from the pipe and looked back at Plank.

"I guess you're right... one peek wouldn't hurt, would it?" Jonny rationalized before returning his gaze to the pipe. He was still a little unsure of the idea, the thought of a wild animal lurking within still unnerving him, but he remembered all the sound advice Plank had offered in the past, and so he finally overcame his misgivings and began to creep slowly toward the pipe. As he slowly moved toward the pipe, it almost felt like something was watching him; he didn't know if that something felt like it was within the pipe, or if it felt like the pipe itself was watching him as he drew closer and closer to its gaping maw. Jonny stopped only a few feet from the pipe and stared inside of the darkness, which seemed to be almost seeping out around the edges of the opening of the pipe. The hole was a little bigger than Jonny was; he could only imagine what the pipe could've possibly been made for.

"..." Plank recommended in a quiet yet excited tone.

"There's no way I'm going in there, Plank," Jonny answered as he stared into the pipe. "It's too dark to see anything anyhow, so we should probably head back to our house and get that flashlight," he reasoned before looking over at Plank.

"..." Plank answered, finally defeated.

"Aw, don't be like that; I promise we'll come back right after we get the flashlight, alright?" Jonny assured Plank.

"..." Plank replied cheerfully.

"Alright then, let's get moving!" Jonny declared before turning away from the pipe, the grass swirling around his legs as he did so. He took a step away from the pipe.

_"Please..."_ a voice suddenly moaned from behind him. Jonny froze in his tracks and a chill ran up his spine. All sound seemed to stop around him, as if hushing up at the horrible voice that had echoed out from behind him. He listened closely, his eyes wide in fear. He didn't just hear what he had heard, had he? It almost sounded like someone had just said something from within the pipe. He gulped and slowly began to turn around, trying his best to ignore a fear that was churning in his brain and pleading with him to run. He finally turned around and his eyes locked onto the black of the pipe. He stood there for what seemed like minutes staring into the pipe, his ears perked up and listening closely for even the slightest whisper.

"..." Plank asked in a hushed tone.

"No... no, I heard it too," Jonny answered in a low and shaky voice. Even Plank had heard the voice, and that scared him even more: now he couldn't just blame it on the wind or some random forest animal. It seemed like whatever had made the noise that sounded eerily similar to a human voice, however, was gone; there was nothing in the pipe, nor a living thing anywhere near it. Jonny let a breath of air escape his lips as he began to calm down. "I guess it was just an animal or something," he reasoned as Plank nodded, although Plank obviously still had his reservations. Jonny began to turn away from the pipe, taking his eyes off of it. "Now let's just get going-"

"...!" Plank exclaimed in a frightened tone as he stared back into the pipe. Jonny whirled around and gazed into the pipe, not believing what Plank claimed he had saw. He soon believed, however, as he stared into the darkness. Two beady yellow eyes stared back at him from within the pipe; they almost seemed to glow with some sort of inner luminescence. The yellow eyes were unmoving and unblinking, and simply gazed into Jonny's eyes, no readable emotions able to be drawn from them. His throat closed up as he continued to stare at the eyes, his entire body locked in a cold frenzy of fear. He could feel another chill working its way up his back, making the hairs on his body stand on end.

_"Don't be scared..." _a soft voice echoed out from within the pipe. Jonny didn't know why, but his fearful state began to melt away at the voice, which suddenly seemed so caring and gentle. Still, the fear was there, and he still wasn't exactly sure what this thing in the pipe was.

"Who... who are you?" Jonny asked as he felt his ability to speak come back. The thing in the pipe seemed to ponder Jonny's question for a moment, although its eyes never left Jonny's; it was almost as if it was peering into the inside of his brain through his eye sockets.

_"I'm a friend," _the voice resounded from within the pipe. Jonny stood there silently, a little shocked at the answer.

"A... friend?" Jonny asked, a bit taken aback. "But... but I've only just met you," he answered.

"..." Plank recommended, not wanting to stick around the pipe and the strange being that lived within it any longer.

_"Now, now, Plank, I simply want to talk to Jonny," _the being answered softly. Jonny's mouth fell open.

"How... how do you know our names?" Jonny asked as he embraced Plank tightly, fear beginning to well up inside of him once again.

_"I know a lot of things about you, Jonny..." _the being claimed. _"I know that you've been searching for a friend... a real friend... and that's why I'm here," _the being explained, its voice echoing from within the confines of the pipe. Jonny contemplated what the thing in the pipe was telling him: it was there to be his friend? He suddenly realized that this thing in the pipe must be the answer to his prayers about having another friend besides Plank to hang out with.

"But... but how do I know you're not just saying that?" Jonny asked as his grip on Plank loosened a little. The being chuckled lightly.

_"Don't you trust me, Jonny?" _the being asked. _"I know that we've only just met, but how else would I know so much about you, hmm?" _the being questioned; its eyes shifted around a little in the darkness of the pipe, leaving yellow trails behind them as they moved around. Jonny didn't know what to think anymore: here he was, out in the middle of the woods, and a strange creature that didn't even seem human was telling him that it was sent to be his friend. It was almost too much for Jonny to take in; his head felt like it was going to explode if he thought about it any longer. He finally came to a decision and sighed.

"Tell ya what," Jonny began as he cleared his throat. "You sit tight here and I'll go back to my place and get a flashlight so I can get a better look at you," he explained as he smiled at the being in the pipe. "Does that sound good? I mean, after all, we can't really be friends if I don't even know what you look like, right?" he reasoned. The being in the pipe fell quiet for a moment, but finally spoke up after a few moments of silence.

_"If you must, then you can," _the being answered, although it sounded a bit apprehensive. Jonny began to turn away, but the being spoke up once again. _"But first, I would very much like it if you could touch my hand," _the being revealed as Jonny turned back to face it.

"But why?" Jonny asked as he raised his eyebrow. "Do you mean like a handshake or something?" he questioned further.

_"Why, yes! A handshake... you know, to show that we're pals," _the being replied before chuckling. _"So what do you say, friend? A hearty handshake to friendship?" _the being said cheerfully as it stuck its hand out. Jonny could just barely see the outline of its hand hovering in the air at the end of the pipe, and it seemed to be relatively humanoid in shape. He wasn't completely sure if this being, whatever it happened to be, was trustworthy, but it seemed to be nice enough, and he would feel like a jerk turning down as simple a request as a handshake, especially one that was dedicated to friendship. He slowly stepped back toward the pipe, each step feeling like heavy stones were tied to the bottom of his feet. Something inside of him told him not to come any closer to the pipe, but he fought against the voice, wanting so desperately to believe that he had just scored himself a new friend. Jonny began to extend his hand toward the darkness of the pipe where the being's own hand was waiting for him.

"What's that, buddy?" Jonny suddenly said aloud as his hand stopped literally inches from the being's hand. "Plank says he wants to give you a handshake first!" he exclaimed before shoving Plank toward the being's hand.

_"Wai-" _the being began to say, but quickly fell silent the second Plank made contact with its hand. Jonny suddenly felt vibrations moving through Plank's body, although they were far too rapid too be a handshake; it almost felt like Plank was being electrocuted the vibrations were so violent. The being's hand suddenly withdrew into the darkness, and Jonny pulled Plank away, not really sure of what had just happened. He stared into the darkness of the pipe, and he could still see the being's floating yellow eyes within the pipe, which seemed to stare at him sadly.

"What just happened?" Jonny asked as he looked at the being and then to Plank. The being made some kind of sad squealing noise, and Jonny took a few steps back away from the pipe. "Uh... well, look, I'm going to go get that flashlight and I'll be right back, okay?" he explained as he smiled nervously. The being once again made the squealing noise, and Jonny couldn't help but slap his hands over his ears the noise was so unbearable. "I'll be back!" he exclaimed before gripping Plank tightly and running off away from the pipe. The being moaned after him, but Jonny didn't stop; he ran out of the clearing and through the woods, both scared and excited. He didn't know why the being wasn't really talking to him anymore, but he just knew he had to find out what it looked like. After all, if it wanted to be his friend, he'd have to at least know that much about it.

* * *

"Now let's go get that flashlight, buddy!" Jonny said cheerfully as he and Plank reentered the cul-de-sac. He ran up the sidewalk as fast as his feet would carry him, hoping to retrieve the flashlight and be back in as short of an amount of time as possible.

_"Hold on, Jonny," _Plank suddenly spoke up, breaking his cone of silence that he had been in ever since he shook the being's hand. Jonny stopped in his tracks and looked down at Plank.

"What is it, Plank?" Jonny asked, curious as to why Plank chose now to say something.

_"I'm thinking that we should put this whole thing with our friend in the pipe on hold," _Plank suggested as Jonny stared at him confusion.

"I don't understand... why would we do that?" Jonny questioned, not understanding why Plank would make such a suggestion. "I mean, our friend is waiting on us, we can't just leave him hanging!" he pointed out.

_"Yes, yes, I know, but I really think that we should take a while to think about what it is we're doing here, Jonny," _Plank explained. _"I mean, we don't even know where this thing came from or what it is... really, we would be better off simply forgetting about it and going on with our day," _he reasoned as he stared up at Jonny. He didn't understand why Plank was saying this; Jonny knew that Plank was a little scared at first of meeting their new friend, but now Plank honestly seemed like he didn't want anything to do with it.

"I know we don't really know it that well, but that thing seemed really nice and I don't want to hurt its feelings," Jonny countered.

_"I'm not saying we never have to go back..." _Plank answered before sighing. _"I'm simply saying that we should at least wait until tomorrow before going back to the pipe so that we have time to think it over," _he explained eloquently. _"I'm sure our friend in the pipe will understand, don't you?" _he asked, wanting to know if Jonny was on board with him on this one. Jonny mulled it over, torn between listening to his best friend and the fear of losing his new friend.

"Well... you've never steered me wrong before, Plank, so I guess we'll go ahead and wait until tomorrow before going to see it again," Jonny responded before smiling. "Anyway, since we're gonna wait until tomorrow to go see what our new friend looks like, why don't we head back to our place and hang out?" he suggested excitedly. "Our mom just bought a new flavor of pudding, and I've been dying to try it," he explained further.

_"Sure... sure, let's go ahead and do that..." _Plank answered, although he certainly didn't seem thrilled by the idea. With that, Jonny strolled toward his house, thoughts of the fun he was going to have today as well as tomorrow swirling around in his head.

* * *

Jonny hid behind his couch, his heart thumping with fear and excitement. He was tempted to peek around the side of the couch and scan the area, but he knew he would be spotted if he did so. The temptation began to look grow too great, however, and he soon peeked his head out from behind his couch and looked around the room. His eyes locked onto the doorway to his kitchen, which had beads hanging down from the top of it. He was almost sure Plank was looking for him in there. Something suddenly hit Jonny on top of his head, bounced off, and then thudded on the floor right in front of him. He rubbed his head in pain and then smiled down at Plank, who smiled back. "Oh, Plank, you dog you, I can never beat you at hide n' seek, can I?" he asked as he snatched Plank and then stood up.

_"Yes, it's been a lot of fun playing hide n' seek, as well as eating that pudding, Jonny," _ Plank answered in an exasperated tone. _"But I honestly think it's about time that we take a break and relax for a while," _he suggested as he smiled up at Jonny.

"But why? I mean, we're having fun, aren't we?" Jonny asked, Plank once again confusing him with a strange suggestion.

_"Oh, don't get me wrong, it's been buckets of fun playing, but I'm a bit tired after all the stuff we've gone through today, and I think we just need to sit back and take some time to contemplate about our day," _Plank clarified as Jonny's thin line of a mouth slowly curled into a smile.

"Wow, Plank, I never knew you were into meditation!" Jonny answered as he perked up. "Every other time I suggested it, you always said it was boring!" Plank chuckled.

_"Yes, I know, but today has been really weird and I feel that we need to reflect upon it," _Plank told Jonny. _"So how about we go sit in front of our window and stare out at the deep blue sky and see how it makes us feel, hmm?" _he advised.

"Sounds soothing, let's give it a try!" Jonny responded enthusiastically before running over to their window and getting down on his knees in front of it. He held Plank so that he could see out of the window, and then the two of them sat there in silence, both of them thinking about and looking at something completely different. Jonny stared up at the blue sky as Plank had suggested, his eyes moving from its infinite void of blue and to the puffy white clouds that slowly hovered by. Plank's attention, however, was completely focused on the group of kids that played in the middle of the cul-de-sac. Plank's eyes started on Jimmy, who was running around his yard. His eyes then moved to the person who was chasing Jimmy, Sarah; she giggled as she tried her best to catch Jimmy so that he would be It. His eyes then wandered over to Nazz, who was lounging in a fold-up chair that was placed in her yard. She held a tanning mirror up to her face, and she seemed to be lost in a world of her own. His eyes darted over to Rolf as he saw the tall boy kick a soccer ball with all his might toward the other end of the cul-de-sac.

_"Yes..."_ Plank muttered under his breath as he stared at Rolf, low enough that Jonny couldn't hear him. Rolf seemed like the perfect specimen: he was tall, strong, obviously tough, and- _"Who is that?" _he whispered to himself as his eyes locked onto the person that Rolf had kicked the ball to. The boy had a red hat on, a green shirt, black shorts, and sneakers. Plank analyzed the boy closely, and watched as he caught the ball with his feet and kicked it upwards, bouncing it off of his head and back towards Rolf. Plank smiled deviously. He looked strong. He looked athletic. He looked confident. Most of all, he was a leader that everyone looked up to in the cul-de-sac. _Kevin, you shall be mine _Plank thought to himself, his eyes still locked onto his prize.

* * *

Jonny sat up in his bed and stretched his arms upward before yawning. He then looked around his room, which was illuminated by the early morning light. He looked down beside him towards Plank, expecting to see him asleep; he was surprised to see that Plank was already up. "Wow, Plank, you're usually still asleep when I get up..." he commented as he picked Plank up and looked at him closely.

_"Don't worry, I just didn't feel like sleeping very much," _Plank answered before grinning. _"But how about we stop lollygagging about in bed and get up and at 'em, Jonny?" _he suggested, wanting to get up and moving as soon as possible.

"Good idea, we wanna make the most out of today, don't we?" Jonny answered as he threw his blanket off and scooted towards the edge of his bed. "After all, we've gotta get out there and meet our new friend!" he added. Plank looked up nervously at Jonny, who had hopped off of his bed and carried him over to a basket that was hanging over a hole in Jonny's floor.

_"Well, wait, before we do that, we need to get energized with a fulfilling breakfast," _Plank remarked as Jonny climbed into the basket.

"Always thinking about food, huh, Plank?" Jonny teased as he began to lower the basket towards the first floor of his house. "But don't sweat it, we're gonna stuff our faces with our favorite cereal in the whole world: Chunky Puffs!" he announced as he hopped out of the basket once it reached the floor and made a beeline for the kitchen. Jonny was excited beyond belief; he could just imagine all the cool things he and Plank would be able to do after breakfast when they headed back to the clearing to play with their new friend. He walked up to his kitchen table and sat Plank down at it. He then walked over to the counter and grabbed a box of Chunky Puffs out of a cabinet.

_"Say, Jonny..." _Plank began as Jonny got two bowls and two spoons out and sat them on the counter.

"Yeah?" Jonny asked as he went over to the fridge and opened it up, light spilling out of it and illuminating his form.

_"I was thinking that maybe we should... ya know... go talk to Kevin before we went out to see our new friend," _Plank suggested. Jonny, whose hand was inches from grabbing on to the milk, froze at Plank's suggestion, this one even stranger than the last two. Jonny slowly turned his head to face Plank, who was staring at him nervously. Plank's mentioning of Kevin made him remember how rude he had been to him the day before, and it was not a memory he really wanted to dwell on. In fact, Plank should've known not to bring something like that up. A day or two more, and Jonny would've forgotten all about it and moved on past it, but Plank had dug up the memory so soon that the feeling of bitterness he had gotten from Kevin came washing back over him.

"Now why in the world would I want to do that?" Jonny asked as he grabbed the milk and pulled it out of the fridge. "Kevin wasn't very nice to me last time we talked... you remember, don't you?" he questioned as he closed his fridge and walked back over to the bowls on the counter, although his steps felt unsure; an uneasiness had settled over him about Plank. He had been acting very strange ever since their encounter with the being in the pipe the day before, and it was clear that whatever had happened had done something odd to Plank.

_"Yes, I remember how high and mighty Kevin acted yesterday... how could I forget?" _Plank asked before clearing his throat. _"But I just thought that we could go and speak with him to clear the air," _he explained as Jonny sat the milk down on the counter and reached for the box of chunky puffs. Jonny thought about what Plank was saying as he popped open the top of the cereal and began to pour it in one of the bowls, its contents quickly filling the bowl to about a third full before he lifted it up, stopping the flow of cereal.

"Even if I did go talk to Kevin, he'd probably just act like a jerk toward me again," Jonny answered as he began to pour cereal into the other bowl. "I think it's better just to wait a few days before going to talk to him... then maybe he'll be out of his sour mood, ya know?" he laid out as he stopped pouring cereal into the second bowl. Plank fell silent for a moment as he thought of what he should say next, Jonny's resistance of what he was telling him they should do unnerving him a bit.

_"I can see your point, Jonny," _Plank responded as he watched Jonny close up the box of Chunky Puffs and set it to the side. _"But I also want to give Kevin a piece of my mind about the way he treated you," _he clarified as his tone gained a bit of anger in it. _"I want to let him know that __the way he talked to you_ wasn't okay," he elaborated further. Jonny nodded in agreement as he began to pour milk into one of the bowls.

"Maybe you're right, Plank," Jonny began before sighing. "I guess it's about time someone said something to Kevin about the way he treats people... I just hope he doesn't flip out and try to lay his hands on you or something," he said in a worried tone as he looked over at his best buddy. Plank smiled eerily before snickering.

_"Oh, I hope with all my heart that he doesn't," _Plank answered sinisterly as Jonny finished pouring the milk into both bowls.

* * *

Jonny closed his front door behind him before turning around and looking out into the cul-de-sac, Plank tucked securely under his arm. He scanned the cul-de-sac with his eyes, searching for a particular boy with a red cap. He didn't see Kevin anywhere, but he did see Rolf dragging a brown sack across his yard next door, his biceps bulging at the great weight of whatever was contained inside. "Well, I don't see Kevin, so maybe we should go ask Rolf where he is," Jonny suggested before looking down at Plank, who seemed to be growing impatient.

_"Alright, if we must, but let's hurry," _Plank said in an urgent tone. Jonny began to move toward Rolf, who was still struggling to lug the huge sack across his yard.

"I don't understand why we're in such a hurry," Jonny commented as he made his way down the sidewalk of the cul-de-sac, and to Rolf's house, although it was a short trek. He stopped at the edge of Rolf's yard and looked down at Plank.

_"Well, I just thought you wanted to get this over with so we could meet our new friend," _Plank answered. _"But if you want, we can take all the time in the world..." _he trailed off.

"No, no, you're right, Plank," Jonny answered before looking up at Rolf.

"Burdening sack of fresh potatoes, Rolf will show you who is-"

"Hey, Rolf, how's it going?" Jonny asked, causing Rolf to stop complaining and look over at him; the sack had left a trench in the dirt from its weight dragging across the ground.

"Ah, hello, Jonny the wood boy, how do you do this fine day?" Rolf asked as he let go of the sack and dusted off his hands.

"I'm doing just fine, Rolf," Jonny replied before grinning. "Do you need any help with-"

_"Forget the sack, Jonny, just ask Rolf where Kevin is," _Plank demanded impatiently, causing Jonny to look down at him with a slightly shocked expression.

"Fine, Plank, but I was just trying to be neighborly," Jonny answered before looking back up at Rolf. "Uh... Rolf, you wouldn't happen to know where Kevin is, would you?" he asked as Rolf scratched his head.

"If Rolf's memory serves him well, hotshot Kevin went to the field of discarded scrap to find a new bike chain," Rolf answered as Jonny nodded.

_"So that means Kevin must be at the junkyard..." _Plank thought aloud before looking up at Jonny. _"Alright, Jonny, let's get moving before he finds that bike chain and leaves," _he ordered, causing Jonny to sigh. Plank was being unusually bossy today; not to say that Plank wasn't usually very pushy, but it was getting ridiculous at how desperate Plank was to go see Kevin.

"Thanks Rolf, and good luck with those potatoes!" Jonny said before waving to Rolf and beginning to walk away. Rolf nodded at him and then turned back to the sack of potatoes, which were sitting there, seemingly taunting him.

"Rolf is back, potato sack, and this time Rolf will show no mercy!" Rolf proclaimed before gripping the sack tightly by the top and heaving it towards him, causing it to once again begin dragging across the ground.

"I don't understand why we couldn't just help Rolf with those potatoes," Jonny commented as he and Plank made their way towards the Junkyard. "I mean, I know you want to set Kevin and straight and everything, but it would've only taken a second to-"

_"I understand that you wanted to help Rolf, Jonny, I really do," _Plank began. _"But you have to remember that Rolf is an individualist; he probably would've turned down your offer to help anyway," _he explained as Jonny listened intently.

"I guess so..." Jonny replied absentmindedly; he didn't want to say anything to Plank, but he was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. Plank had already been acting so bossy and strange, but now he was talking in a very weird way as well. He hadn't noticed it at first, but Plank really wasn't acting like himself at all. It was as if he had traded personalities with someone or something. This Plank was very proper, formal, and unnaturally kind, while the old Plank was out-going and no-nonsense. Something wasn't right. Jonny shrugged off these thoughts as he and Plank finally arrived at the junkyard. He looked past the chain link fence that surrounded the junkyard and into the dark mountains of trash, his eyes searching for Kevin.

_"What are we waiting for, Jonny?" _Plank asked, once again growing impatient. _"We're not going to find Kevin standing around out here, so we better get in there and find him," _he remarked as Jonny sighed. He was growing tired of Plank's impatience, but he was once again hesitant to say anything. After all, maybe Plank just really wanted to get what he had to say off of his chest?

"Right," Jonny answered simply before walking over to the entrance to the junkyard and walking inside. He stopped a few feet in and looked around. He saw piles of old cars, their headlights missing or hanging out. He saw old thrown away appliances, such as a huge dryer that had its door barely hanging on by its hinges. He saw dozens of old cans and bottles strewn about and piled up at the bases of the huge stacks of junk. His ears were listening closely for the sounds of someone moving through the junkyard, but he heard nothing. He began to walk slowly through the junkyard, his eyes still searching for any sign of Kevin.

_"He's gotta be around here somewhere..." _Plank commented as he too searched the area with his eyes, which moved over the many different forms of trash quickly.

"I guess we just gotta keep looking," Jonny answered as he tucked Plank under his arm and began to climb up a pile of junk. "We'll get a better view from up here," he said as continued to scale the huge trash heap, trying his best to reach the peak. He finally pulled himself up onto the top of the heap and stood up. He wiped some dirt off of his shirt and picked a dirty banana peel off of his pants before gazing down at the many paths that spread throughout the junkyard like veins. "I would say this is a beautiful view if this wasn't the junkyard," he commented as he continued to look around. He couldn't help but think about the fact that the junkyard provided a strong contrast the beautiful forest that he was in only a day before. His eyes scanned every nook and cranny of the junkyard, but he still couldn't locate Kevin. He was almost ready to give up, thinking that perhaps Kevin had moved on from the junkyard.

_"I see him!" _Plank suddenly exclaimed, causing Jonny to whirl around. Sure enough, Kevin stood a few dozen yards away digging through a pile of scrap and old bike parts. Jonny simply stared at him for a few moments, debating whether or not he should approach him. As much as he wanted to see Plank chew him out, he wasn't exactly excited to talk to Kevin again. He knew that he had to get over it and soldier on, however, so he began to walk down the pile of junk, this side of the giant heap being considerably less steep. He hopped off of the edge of the pile of junk and continued to move towards Kevin, who was turned away from him and Plank, too busy tossing aside old bike seats and tires to notice their presence. He stopped a few feet away from Kevin and watched him silently, debating whether or not this was a good idea at all.

_"What are you waiting for?" _Plank asked as his eyes looked Kevin over, a dark desire hidden behind them. _"Get his attention," _he commanded. Jonny felt like saying no and walking away, but Plank seemed so adamant about this that he was honestly a bit scared to see how Plank would react if he did. Jonny sucked in a breath of air, preparing himself for whatever was about to happen.

"Hey, Kevin," Jonny greeted, causing Kevin to jump a little and drop a rusty pedal that he had been holding on to. Kevin turned around to face him; Jonny wasn't happy to see that he had a deep scowl on his face. It was obvious that he wasn't in the mood to be bothered, especially not by Jonny. Upon seeing that it was just Jonny, Kevin rolled his eyes.

"What do _you_ want?" Kevin asked in a ticked off tone before turning back around and continuing to dig around.

"Uh... well..." Jonny stuttered, feeling like he should just leave while he still had the chance.

_"Go ahead, tell him that I have something to say to him," _Plank ordered, although he seemed to be just as irritated as Kevin. Jonny could feel the pressure from Plank's words, and once again caved in to his demands.

"Plank wanted to tell you something," Jonny answered as he held Plank up. Kevin stopped what he was doing and once again turned around to face Jonny. Kevin stared at Plank, an annoyed expression on his face.

"Look, I don't have time to talk to you, or your stupid piece of wood," Kevin replied. "Dork, dork, and dorky ruined my bike chain with a dumb cleaning service scam, and now I have to find a new one," he explained as he crossed his arms.

"It'll only take a second, Kevin," Jonny responded, causing Kevin to sigh and slide his hand down his face.

"Fine, I'll listen to Plank," Kevin answered, although it was clear he still thought this was a waste of time. Jonny looked down at Plank.

"Alright, buddy, tell him what you have to say," Jonny said as Plank gathered his thoughts.

_"Very well then, Jonny, but remember that you have to tell him what I say," _Plank replied as Jonny nodded. _"Kevin, I am not pleased with how you treated Jonny yesterday," _he began as Jonny looked back at Kevin.

"Plank says he's not very happy with how you treated me yesterday," Jonny relayed before looking back down at Plank. Kevin's scowl deepened, but he decided to keep listening.

_"And I just thought you should you know that you're nothing but an idiot with the chin the size of a dump truck," _Plank said further, Jonny looking back up at Kevin to relay the information.

"And Plank wants you to know that- Wait, what?" Jonny exclaimed before looking back down at Plank. "That's not very nice, Plank!" he chided.

"What did that little piece of termite food say?" Kevin questioned as his fists curled into balls, anger welling up inside of him.

_"Doesn't matter whether it was nice or not, I want you to repeat it to Kevin,"_ Plank commanded, Jonny's face scrunching up.

"I can't do that, it's mean!" Jonny responded, still not understanding why Plank would want him to say something so mean-spirited to Kevin.

_"I said to tell him what I said right now, Jonny," _Plank demanded as Jonny shook his head.

"No way, I thought you came out here to set Kevin straight, not insult him!" Jonny answered as Kevin looked on, a furious expression on his face.

"That's it, Jonny, stop playing around here!" Kevin shouted as he stepped toward Jonny, who took a step back. "I don't care what Plank said about me, all I know is that you're annoying me and it's about time you got lost before I have to hurt you!" he yelled as he smacked his fist into the palm of his hand. Jonny gulped and held Plank up in front of him like a wall.

"Please don't be mad at me, Kevin, I'll leave right away," Jonny answered as he continued to back away.

"Good choice, Jonny," Kevin commented as he began to wind down. "Now hurry up and scram, I've got a bike chain to find," he added before turning back around. Jonny sighed with relief and began to turn around, happy that he avoided making Kevin any angrier.

_"I guess I'll just go back to your place, Kevin, and spend a little time with your mom," _Plank suddenly said, causing Kevin to whirl around in confusion. Jonny stopped in his tracks and his eyes widened as he stared down at Plank. Kevin looked at Plank for a moment and then at Jonny, still not believing what he had just heard.

"What did you just say, Jonny?" Kevin asked, his voice dark and brooding. Jonny gulped and looked over at Kevin. Jonny couldn't believe this; did Plank just say something that someone else could actually hear?

"It... it wasn't me, it was Plank!" Jonny exclaimed as he pointed down at his wooden friend.

"Don't screw around with me, twerp, Plank is just a piece of wood, he can't talk!" Kevin shouted as he rolled up his sleeves. "But I'm looking at a dork who can, and he just said something that he's about to regret!" he seethed as his fists once again curled up.

"Wait, Kevin, I swear it wasn't me!" Jonny whined as he began to back away from Kevin, whose face was scrunched up in fury.

"Say that one more time, baldy, and I'll make sure to give you two black eyes instead of one!" Kevin countered as he lifted up his arm, ready to sock Jonny right in the face. Jonny looked away, squeezed his eyes shut, and held Plank up as a shield.

"Don't hurt me!" Jonny pleaded as he felt his back hit a pile of junk. There was no where to run or hide now; Kevin was going to pound the crap out of him and there was nothing he could do about it.

_"Throw me at him, Jonny!" _Plank demanded as he stared at the fuming jock that was methodically stepping towards Jonny, wanting him to cower as long as possible before the pain began.

"I can't, Plank..." Jonny whispered back.

_"It's my fault he's mad at us, now just throw me at him!" _Plank shouted, getting angry that Jonny wasn't obeying his command.

"I won't do it!" Jonny suddenly yelled, causing Kevin to stop in his tracks and stare at him in confusion.

"Shut up, Jonny, and take your pounding like a man!" Kevin hollered, his anger at Jonny growing exponentially every second.

_"If you won't do it..." _Plank began as he began to vibrate in Jonny's hands. Jonny opened his eyes and looked up at Plank; not only had Plank spoken so that someone else could hear him, but now he was moving on his own! He stared up in shock as the vibrations grew more and more violent.

"Wha..." Kevin muttered as he stared at Plank in bewilderment. "What's the big idea, Jonny?" he asked as he continued to gaze at the shaking piece of wood in Jonny's hands, unsure of what exactly he was doing.

_"Then I will!" _Plank suddenly screamed aloud before flying out of Jonny's hands and straight at Kevin.

"What the heck?" Kevin yelped as he watched as Plank came sailing out of Jonny's grip and straight towards him. He jumped out of the way in the nick of time and landed on an old dirty mattress. Plank rapidly lost altitude and soon crashed into the hard dirt where Kevin had once stood. Kevin flipped over on the mattress and looked over at the piece of wood, which was laying face down on the ground a few meters away. Jonny did nothing but stand with his back up against the trash heap behind him, his eyes locked onto Plank. He didn't know what was going on anymore. Plank had never showed that he had the ability to talk to others or move on his own before, but here he was doing both at the same time. Kevin slowly stood up, his eyes still locked onto Plank. He climbed off of the mattress and dusted off his back with his hands before looking over at Jonny. Jonny's eyes left Plank and wandered over to Kevin's face, which bore a look of unbridled rage.

"Wait... wait, Kevin, that wasn't me and you know it!" Jonny wailed as he pressed his back firmly against the trash heap behind him.

"Shut your trap, Jonny!" Kevin demanded, his voice uneven and his arms shaking at his sides. "First you have the nerve to say something about my mom, and then you're gonna throw things at me?" he screamed as he stomped toward Jonny, his fist raised high. "Now you're gonna get the pounding of the lifetime, you dor-"

"Kevin, look out!" Jonny shouted as he leaped forward and wrapped his arms around Kevin.

"Get offa me ya-" Kevin began to yell, but quickly stopped when he got the air knocked out of him from hitting the ground. The two of them slid slightly across the dirt and stopped. Kevin was about to start beating on Jonny, but his entire body froze up when he saw Plank sail over them and hit the pile of trash that Jonny was up against only seconds ago. Plank impacted against the pile of junk and then fell backwards; he landed perfectly on his bottom facing Kevin, who stared back at him, his eyes wild with fear.

"I told you it was Plank, Kev-" Jonny began but was quickly silenced when Kevin shoved him away towards Plank. Kevin leaped to his feet as Jonny fell backwards, landing next to Plank on his bottom. Jonny looked up at Kevin, who was still staring at Plank, his face as white as a ghost.

"You stay away from me, you freak!" Kevin shouted before whirling around running off and into the maze of junk, the sounds of his feet pounding on the dirt echoing throughout the junkyard. Jonny stared after the frightened boy as he disappeared behind a pile of rusty cars. His gaze soon wandered over to Plank, who was standing next to him. Plank suddenly turned a little and faced him, his happy expression unchanged by what had just occurred. Jonny and Plank simply stared at each other for a moment longer before Jonny finally found the courage to speak up.

"You're... you're... you're not Plank!" Jonny exclaimed before jumping to his feet and backing off, his eyes still fixated on the piece of wood that stood only feet from him.

_"An astute observation, my friend. I was wondering just how long it would take your little pea-brain to finally figure it out," _Plank answered in a degrading tone.

"Yeah, well this pea-brain has had enough of this, whoever you are!" Jonny shot back as he crossed his arms. "Now tell me what you did with Plank!" he ordered loudly. He didn't know what this thing that had taken over Plank's body was or what it wanted, but all he knew was that he wanted his friend back.

_"Why, Jonny, even a person as dull-minded as you should be able to figure out who I am," _Plank replied snidely. _"After all, you were the one who wanted a new friend and came wandering into my humble alcove out in the woods," _he explained as Jonny's eyes widened.

"Then you're that thing that was in the pipe!" Jonny exclaimed as he held his hands up to his face in horror. "But if you're in Plank's body... then that means you weren't going to give me a handshake, you were trying to steal my body!" he yelped as realization came washing over him. Plank chuckled lightly at his reaction, finding it amusing.

_"Indeed I was, Jonny," _Plank responded before sighing. _"You see, I had been stuck in that particular pipe for what had seemed like ages... the last creature that I had switched bodies with forgot to tell me that he had an abhorrent reaction to light, and thus I was stuck in that pipe every day and every night, even the meager light from the moon being too much for that stupid creature's body to handle," _he revealed as Jonny listened closely. _"When you came along,__ I saw it as a chance to finally escape my dim prison, but you, being the annoying bilge sucker that you are, decided that your stupid wooden friend Plank deserved to touch me first. Thus, I am stuck in this abhorrent rotting body until I can find another vessel," _he explained further as Jonny shook his head in disappointment.

"You're nothing but a no-good body snatching monster," Jonny chided in disgust. "But I don't get why you didn't just switch bodies with me as soon as you were in Plank's body... after all, I've been holding onto you this whole time," he said as he stared down at Plank.

_"Yes, the thought of simply jumping into your body did cross my mind..." _Plank answered. _"But I decided to simply let you carry me back here to the cul-de-sac, where I knew much better prizes awaited appraisal... and I have to say, that Kevin boy is perhaps the best specimen that this backwater town has to offer. I mean, not only is he strong and healthy, but he is well-respected by the people of this neighborhood and is seen as a leader by the other kids," _he went on as he savored the thought of finally jumping into Kevin's body. A scowl formed on Jonny's face; he was fed up with this body snatcher's horrid behavior.

"Well keep dreaming, buddy, because I'm not going to let you get Kevin!" Jonny announced as his fists curled up. Plank stared up at him in annoyance.

_"Come now, Jonny, think this through," _Plank said as he gathered his thoughts. _"Sure, you could try to stop me, although you'd most certainly fail, but aren't you forgetting just how nasty and rude Kevin has been to you today?" _he questioned as Jonny looked at him in suspicion. _"Wouldn't it be sweet, sweet justice if you helped me get into his body and made it so that he has to spend the rest of his life stuck in the body of a wooden board?" _he prodded further.

"I can't do that... not only is that horrible, but that still doesn't help me get my best friend back!" Jonny shouted at the small wooden board.

_"Listen, Jonny, if you help me out, I'll help you out..." _Plank offered. _"If you assist me with Kevin, then I will help retrieve your friend, who is still stuck inside of the body of that creature in the pipe," _he revealed.

"You... you can do that?" Jonny asked, a little shocked at the revelation. "But... but what about Kevin? What will happen to him?" he asked, although in the back of his mind he knew what this body snatcher's answer would be.

_"Simple: Kevin will live out his days shriveling in that old dirty pipe out in the woods," _Plank replied before laughing sinisterly. _"An appropriate ending for him, don't you agree?" _he asked. Jonny gulped down some saliva as he stared hopelessly at Plank. He didn't know what to do now. He wanted so desperately to save the real Plank from having to live the rest of his life inside of a pipe, but he also didn't want to essentially kill Kevin and allow this creature to replace him. Jonny sucked in a big breath of air.

"There's no way I can do it..." Jonny answered, although his voice was low and unsure. "Kevin doesn't deserve that kind of fate..." he trailed off as Plank sighed, his impatience with the good-natured boy growing rapidly.

_"If that's the way you feel about it, then I suppose your friend Plank will just have to wonder why his best friend never came back to save him..." _Plank trailed off as Jonny uncurled his fists.

"Look... I just... can't..." Jonny whimpered as tears began to form in his eyes.

_"Oh, but you can... and I promise it will be quick and painless..." _Plank answered as he grinned up at Jonny. _"Both for you and Kevin..."_ Tears began to spill down Jonny's face as thoughts bounced around in his head, each of them pounding hard against the inside of his head and giving him a throbbing headache. He couldn't do it... could he? Could he really be so desperate to save his friend Plank that he would sacrifice Kevin to do so? Plank simply continued to stare up at Jonny, who was in the middle of making the biggest and darkest decision of his life.

"Let's get this over with," Jonny suddenly said as he reached down and scooped Plank off of the ground, tears still sliding down his cheeks.

_"That's what I like to hear... friend," _Plank answered as the two of them made their way out of the junkyard and towards the cul-de-sac.

* * *

Kevin scrambled down the lane in a mad frenzy, desperate to put as much distance between him and the junkyard as possible. He had no idea what exactly had happened back there, but he wasn't about to find out. What he did know was that Plank had appeared to move on his own. But he wasn't even sure of that. He could've of been hallucinating; after all, he was still so angry at the Eds and Jonny that perhaps he had simply imagined it. But he didn't care; he was just going to run back to the cul-de-sac, which promised to bring normalcy back into his day. He rounded the corner and ran towards the entrance to the cul-de-sac as fast as he could, and he soon rounded the bend and began to slow his roll, wanting it to appear as if nothing was wrong with him. Kevin scanned the cul-de-sac quickly and saw that no one was outside. He knew that he had to find Rolf and Nazz; everything would become a lot better once he started hanging out with them. He began to walk towards Nazz's house, his breathing become more rhythmic by the second.

He had to have been imagining what he had seen. It hadn't happened. Either that, or Jonny had pulled some kind of trick to fool him or something. "That little jerk thinks he can pull one over on me..." Kevin seethed as he stopped on the sidewalk in front of Nazz's house. He looked like such an idiot running off like that. Not to mention the fact that he looked like a coward. He knew the next time he saw Jonny wasn't going to be pretty; he'd teach him a lesson for pulling some stunt like that. Kevin shook these thoughts off and began to take a step into Nazz's yard.

"Kevin!" someone suddenly called out from behind him. He whirled around and looked across the cul-de-sac at the source of the voice. It was Jonny. He was standing at the entrance of the cul-de-sac, Plank in hand. Kevin gritted his teeth. Jonny had the nerve to come looking for him, and now he was going to pay the price sooner than expected. Jonny began to walk across the cul-de-sac towards Kevin, who stood his ground defiantly.

"I'll give you this, Jonny, you're not as much of a coward as I thought you were," Kevin commented as Jonny drew closer and closer. "I thought a twerp like you woulda went off and hid after that crap you pulled back at the junkyard," he added, his voice surprisingly calm given how furious he was. Jonny gathered his courage as he came within yards of Kevin. This was it. This was the part where he did something he would most likely regret very much. But he had to do it for Plank. He had to save him.

"Look, me and Plank are really sorry about all that happened back there," Jonny answered before sighing heavily. "In fact, Plank feels really bad at how terrible he acted back there, and wanted to say he was sorry," he explained as Kevin rolled his eyes.

"Sure, blame it all on the piece of wood..." Kevin muttered.

"I'm not blaming it all on Plank... I accept some of the blame too. After all, I should've just left you alone. You were busy and you were also in a bad mood after dealing with the Eds," Jonny responded, causing Kevin to look at him suspiciously. Jonny was being surprisingly understanding and apologetic about all this, but Kevin knew he had to be on his toes.

"Fine... apology accepted, whatever," Kevin answered, happy this was all done and over with. "Now I'm going to go hang out with Rolf and Nazz, so I guess I'll see you around, Jonny," he added as he began to turn away.

"Hold on," Jonny suddenly said, causing Kevin to stop and look back at him. "Before you go, Plank wanted to give you a handshake... you know, to show you that everything is really good between us," he explained as Kevin stared at the two of them, a tinge of fear in him. His eyes wandered down to Plank, who was looking right back at him. Kevin knew this was probably just Jonny being nice, but he still couldn't shake the absolute terror he felt back at the junkyard when Plank went sailing through air, apparently by himself, and landed perfectly standing up. He felt stupid thinking this, but he didn't want to get anywhere near that board, let alone touch it.

"I'm good, Jonny," Kevin began, although his eyes were still on Plank. "I accepted your apology, that's all that's needed," he said further as he took a step back.

"Come on, just give him a handshake and then you can go hang out with your friends," Jonny said, although this time the kind tone in his voice seemed a little forced.

"I said I'm not doing it," Kevin responded, his voice a little angry.

"All Plank wants is a handshake... is that too much to ask for?" Jonny inquired.

"Yeah, yeah it is. Now scram, Jonny, I'm done with your weird crap today," Kevin replied as his fists balled up. Jonny didn't know what to do. Kevin wasn't nearly as easy to fool as he thought; Kevin knew something was up, and it was obvious getting him to touch Plank of his own volition wasn't going to work.

_"This is a waste of time, Jonny," _Plank said, breaking his silence. _"Just throw me at him; it'll be over quickly, and then we can go get your friend Plank," _he explained, tired of waiting to get into Kevin's body.

"But what if he dodges again?" Jonny asked as Kevin stared at the two of them in fear.

_"Forget it then, Jonny, I'll do it myself. I don't know why I've been relying on you so much when I could make this all so much faster and easier," _Plank answered as he suddenly began to vibrate in Jonny's hands again. Kevin backed up a few more steps at the familiar sight.

"Stop it, Jonny, this isn't going to work on me again," Kevin said, although his voice was unsure. He watched as Plank continued to shake, Jonny simply staring down at Plank with some unreadable expression. "I said to stop this crap, Jon- Whoa!" he shouted as Plank suddenly flew out of Jonny's hands and straight towards him for the second time that day. He sidestepped Plank, who went sailing past him. Plank landed with a thud on Nazz's lawn. Jonny looked over at Kevin, who he expected to try and pound him in anger. But once again Kevin proved that he wasn't a fool, and he kept his gaze on Plank.

"Please don't hurt me, Kevin," Jonny pleaded, hoping that Kevin would turn away from Plank for just one moment.

"Stop talking, Jonny... I don't know what's going on here, but I'm not falling for your tricks anymore," Kevin retorted furiously, his eyes still locked onto Plank. He felt a little dumb staring at Plank and expecting him to move, but he wasn't going to let Jonny get him again with this stupid trick.

_"No tricks here, Kevin," _Kevin heard a muffled voice say. His face drained of all color. The voice appeared to have come from Plank, who was still laying face down on the grass.

"Stop... stop this crap, Jonny," Kevin stuttered. "Stop throwing your voice, or whatever you're doing!" he added angrily, thinking it was all Jonny's doing; despite this, he refused to take his eyes off of Plank. Plank suddenly lifted himself off of the ground and spun around to face Kevin.

"What the heck?" Kevin yelped as he jumped backwards, almost losing balance and falling down onto the street.

_"Jonny isn't throwing his voice, and he isn't pulling one over on you, my good friend," _Plank revealed as he stared lustfully at Kevin. His eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as he gazed at Plank. He was standing on his own. He was moving on his own. And now he was talking on his own!

"What... How..." Kevin muttered fearfully, his mind unable to wrap around what he was seeing. He suddenly looked over at Jonny, who had a solemn and guilty expression on his face. Kevin didn't know what to say or what to ask him. This was almost unreal. Plank, seeing that Kevin was distracted, suddenly flung himself off of the ground and at Kevin. "Get away from me!" he shouted as he leaped away, seeing Plank's sneak attack out of the corner of his eye. Plank hit the street and rebounded off of it, and continued to fly after Kevin. "Call him off, Jonny!" he demanded as he stumbled away from Plank, who was right behind him. Jonny didn't answer, and just stared after the two of them. "Get him away from me, dang it!" he ordered. Kevin tripped up and began to crawl away from Plank, who was slowly moving through the air, almost like he was hovering.

"What's going on out here?" Jonny heard someone ask, causing him to whirl around. Nazz and Rolf stood at the entrance to Nazz's house, and they were both staring worryingly out into the cul-de-sac.

"Go back in your house!" Jonny ordered. They couldn't interfere with this. He had to get Plank back, and they weren't going to stand in his way.

"But I thought I heard- Oh my God!" Nazz cried in horror when she spotted Plank drifting slowly towards Kevin, who was crawling away on his back from Plank.

"What witchcraft is this?" Rolf asked, concerned. "How does the piece of wood move on its own?" he questioned further as he and Nazz suddenly bolted out of the doorway and across Nazz's yard. Jonny suddenly jumped in front of Rolf and Nazz, blocking their path.

"Get out of the way, Jonny, we have to help Kevin with... with... whatever's going on out there!" Nazz demanded, concern for Kevin dripping from every word. Jonny still stood defiantly in front of them, his arms outstretched.

"Jonny the wood boy, move out of our path or Rolf will be forced to wrestle you to the ground like a misbehaving pig!" Rolf shouted, wanting to get to Kevin and stop what was going on.

"Stay out of this!" Jonny demanded. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop them if they tried to physically get past him, but he just had to keep them busy long enough for body snatcher to switch bodies with Kevin. Then he and the being could make up whatever stupid story they wanted to explain what was going on.

"Help me!" Kevin yelled as Plank drew closer and closer.

_"I have been waiting for this moment for too long..."_ Plank said sinisterly as his eyes glowed a bright red. Kevin's voice choked up and he felt his entire body freeze at the sight. Jonny turned around and looked at Kevin and Plank, and watched as Plank slowly began to drift towards the completely immobile Kevin.

"Rolf has had enough of this foolishness! Rolf must help his friend!" Rolf suddenly shouted before shoving Jonny out of the way. He went tumbling to the ground, and Rolf and Nazz quickly shot past him and towards Kevin and Plank. Jonny rolled over and jumped to his feet, ready to go and stop Nazz and Rolf from interfering. He suddenly realized that they would likely try and smack Plank away from Kevin, meaning that the body snatcher would likely end up switching bodies with one of them.

"Wait, I'll do it!" Jonny called after them as he began to run full sprint after Rolf and Nazz, who drew closer and closer to Kevin and Plank. He put all of his energy in his legs, trying his best to beat Rolf and Nazz there.

"We're coming, Kev-" Nazz began to say as they reached him; Jonny suddenly shot past them and jumped toward Plank. He didn't know what he was doing. He should've just stayed out of it and let the being do what he wanted. But he suddenly realized that this was all wrong. He shouldn't be helping the body snatcher just to save his friend Plank. In fact, Plank would likely be ashamed of him if he learned he sacrificed Kevin, or anyone else, for that matter, just to get him back.

_"You fool!" _Plank shouted as Jonny crashed into him and wrapped his arms around him. The two of them went sailing over Kevin and into the hard asphalt, which scratched up Jonny's arms and tore at his clothes. Rolf and Nazz grabbed Kevin by the arms and yanked him to the feet, and the three of them watched as Jonny rolled around on the ground, apparently struggling with Plank.

"What... what's happening, Kevin?" Nazz asked, terrified. Kevin just stayed silent and continued to look on at Jonny, who was seemingly being dragged around on the ground by Plank.

_"You will pay for interfering in my affairs, Jonny!" _Plank seethed as Jonny, who was laying on his back, held him away from him and up into the air.

"No, please don't!" Jonny pleaded. He knew what was coming.

_"Too late now, Jonny, your body is mine!" _Plank shouted as Jonny suddenly felt Plank begin to vibrate again. He forced himself to his feet and tried to throw Plank away from him, but it was if Plank was attached to his fingers by glue.

"Augh!" Jonny shouted in pain; it felt like thousands of tiny needles were being forced into his hands.

"We have to help him!" Nazz proclaimed as she tried to step forward.

"No, Nazz, don't!" Kevin said as he grabbed onto Nazz's arm and yanked her back. Kevin didn't know what was going on, but he didn't want Nazz to get hurt. Jonny suddenly felt a ripping sensation running throughout his entire body; it was almost as if his spirit was being ripped out of its earthly vessel. He suddenly felt something forcing its way into his hands, seemingly coming from Plank. It felt hostile. It felt malicious. It felt evil. He suddenly realized that this was it: the body snatcher was switching bodies with him, and there was nothing he could do about it. He heard vile laughter echoing from seemingly nowhere. Tears began to form in his eyes. He was doomed. Jonny suddenly heard a voice from somewhere deep inside of him tell him that it wasn't over. He couldn't let it end here. He had to go on and save Plank, body snatcher or no body snatcher.

"No, I won't let you do this!" Jonny suddenly cried out as he lifted Plank up into the air.

_"What are you doing?" _Plank questioned fearfully, not understanding how Jonny was even moving.

"Eat knee, you son of a gun!" Jonny seethed, his grip on Plank tightening as pain shot through every fiber of his body.

_"No, don't do-" _was all Plank managed to get out as Jonny suddenly shot his arms downward. A huge cracking sound issued forth as Kevin, Rolf, and Nazz all watched as Plank snapped in two over Jonny's knee. _"No!" _the four of them heard echo from seemingly nowhere as they watched a red mist fly out of Plank and dissipate in midair. Jonny fell to his knees and he dropped the two halves of Plank on the ground in front of him. He gripped the ground with his hands as he stared down at the dead body of his best friend, which still had that darned grin on it.

"I'm sorry..." Jonny whispered as tears began to drop from his eyes and onto the broken and destroyed body of Plank. Kevin, Rolf, and Nazz all looked on, still not sure of what was going on, but also shocked at the fact that Jonny had essentially killed Plank right in front of them. They all sat there in silence for a few moments, save for the sound of Jonny's sobs. Nazz suddenly gathered her courage and stepped forward, her arm outstretched towards Jonny.

"Jonny... I... don't know what to say," Nazz said quietly, her voice solemn. Jonny looked up, tears streaming down his face. He looked at her face, which was filled with pity and sorrow. He then looked at her outstretched hand. He slowly reached up and took hold of it, and Nazz helped pull him to his feet. "I guess I should say... I'm sorry about Plank," she said apologetically as she stared at Jonny, who nodded slowly.

"Rolf is also filled with sorrow at the loss of wooden-boy Plank," Rolf admitted as he joined Nazz her side. "He was the best Urban Ranger Rolf has ever laid his eyes on," he added as he laid his hand on Jonny's shoulder. Kevin stepped forward and stood on the other side of Nazz. Jonny looked over at Kevin, who averted his eyes and looked down at the ground, not knowing what to say. Jonny sucked in a breath of air and sighed.

"It's okay guys... I did what had to be done," Jonny answered as the three of them listened intently. "But that wasn't Plank..."

"What do you mean?" Kevin suddenly asked, confused. Rolf and Nazz both looked equally taken aback by Jonny's admission. Jonny sighed once again. They deserved to know the truth.

* * *

A twig snapped underneath Jonny's foot as he finally reached his destination. He laid his hand gently on a large, old tree and stared out into the alcove that he had discovered only a day before. His eyes slowly moved over the field of tall, green grass that swayed gently back and forth. His eyes then moved to look at the trees that lined the clearing in almost a perfect circle. His eyes then stopped on the black hole of the pipe that laid at the other end of the alcove. Explaining what had happened to Kevin, Nazz, and Rolf had been difficult; after all, it was a lot to swallow. But they all told him that they believed him. How could they not? After seeing Plank fly through the air and even speak, it wasn't too hard to believe something like a body snatcher existed. They had offered to come see Plank with him so that breaking the news to him would be easier, but he told them that this was something he had to do on his own.

Jonny snapped out of his thoughts, the task at hand suddenly coming back to him. He knew he should hurry and get to the pipe to see Plank, but he was honestly frightened. He feared how Plank would react when he learned that his body had been destroyed. He feared that Plank would be disappointed with him. Angry even. But he knew it had to be done. With great effort, he finally took a step into the clearing. He then began to slowly move towards the pipe, the familiar feeling of grass swishing past his legs as he did so. As Jonny reached the entrance of the pipe, he stopped and stared within the darkness. He was hesitant to say Plank's name, not even sure if Plank was still in the pipe.

"Oh no..." Jonny moaned. He remembered that the body snatcher had told him that the creature that lived in the pipe had a weakness to any sort of light, and he feared that Plank had stepped outside and burned up, not being privy to this knowledge. He gathered up his courage. "Plank, are you in there?" he asked as he gazed into the dark void of the pipe. There was silence. "Oh God, please answer me! Please tell me you're still alright!" he pleaded. This couldn't be it. His friend couldn't be gone forever.

"Jonny?" a low, painful voice said as Jonny's face lit up. It was him. It was Plank.

"Yeah, it's... it's me," he responded, although a bit of his happiness to see that Plank was still alive drained away. After all, the news he was about to deliver was painful. He watched as two yellow eyes appeared at the end of the pipe and stared out at him.

"What... what happened? Where is... that thing?" the voice asked. Jonny looked away for a moment and then looked back.

"I'm sorry, Plank, but... I had to kill it," Jonny revealed solemnly. "It tried to take Kevin's body, and I had no choice but to get rid of it... permanently," he admitted as his voice became uneven and shaky.

"You don't mean..." the voice began to say.

"Yes. I'm sorry, buddy, but I had no choice. Your body... is gone," Jonny affirmed as tears began to once again form in his eyes.

"It's okay, Jonny," the voice comforted. "You did what you had to do." Jonny nodded slowly and a sad smile formed on his lips.

"I'm glad you understand, Plank. But what about you?" Jonny asked, remembering Plank's dire situation. "You're stuck in that body, and, without that body snatcher's help, we won't be able to get you out," he explained. There was silence for a moment.

"Well... I guess I'll just have to stay in here until we can find another thing like it to get me out," the voice admitted, although it was filled with pain. Jonny hated to see Plank resign himself to this fate. He didn't want Plank to be stuck in this pipe until he could find a way to get him out.

"Don't worry... I'll try my best to find some way to get you out of there, I promise," Jonny answered resolutely.

"Thank you, Jonny," the voice replied, a little more upbeat now. Jonny smiled widely and stuck his hand out, giving a thumbs up.

"What the-" Jonny shrieked as a scaly green hand suddenly shot out of the darkness and grabbed tightly onto his.

_Jonny wanted nothing more than another friend to share his laughter and good times with. Instead, what Jonny got was a parasite who wanted nothing more than to find another friend to share his horrible body-snatching powers with. Jonny may have overcome this body-snatching leech, but he still has one more obstacle to overcome: the Twilight Zone._

Jonny's eyes flicked open, the strange yet familiar sensation he felt finally over. He stared out of the pipe and at Plank, who looked back at him with a solemn look on his eyes. Except that it wasn't Plank. It was Plank in his body. "I'm sorry, Jonny... I'm so sorry..." Plank said regretfully as he stared at Jonny, who couldn't help but stare back at Plank in horror. Jonny tried to say something, but all that came out were low gurgling sounds. "You'll learn to speak soon enough..." Plank revealed before sighing. "I promise I'll give your body back eventually... I just... I just want to know what it's like to be a real person..." Plank admitted before backing away. "Please forgive me," Plank whispered in a low voice before running off. Jonny sat there, still staring in disbelief at this betrayal as Plank ran away in his body. He wasn't sure what to think anymore. But if there was one thing Jonny was absolutely sure of, it was this: Plank is a jerk.


	4. Nazz: Hollow

**Author's Note: **_Once again, I thank all the people who have read, reviewed, or favorited this story, and I extend an even bigger thanks to those who have done all three. As a bit of news, I will likely be uploading a one shot at sometime in the next month, since I'm writing a story for a contest on another website, and I might as well upload it here so that all of you can enjoy it as well. Now enough about that, for it is Nazz's turn to take a trip into the Twilight Zone. Let's tune in and see what happens...__  
_

* * *

_You unlock this door with the key of imagination, beyond it is another dimension..._

_... a dimension of sound..._

_... a dimension of sight..._

_... a dimension of mind._

_You are moving into a land of both shadow and substance..._

_... of things and ideas._

_You've just crossed over into..._

_The Twilight Zone._

* * *

"This is going to be a great day," Nazz said contently as she stood on her front porch, a big smile on her face. She looked out into a beautiful summer day, the sun illuminating everything that laid before her in the cul-de-sac. The freshly cut lawns looked greener than ever, contrasting nicely with the smooth asphalt and pavement of the sidewalk and street. Birds chirped as they flew around above her, landing on the roofs of a few houses to relish the day as Nazz was doing herself.

_Nazz, age twelve, is a perfectly normal girl living in a not-so-normal cul-de-sac. A strong contrast to her neighbors, Nazz is kind, considerate, thoughtful, and, most of all, mature. Her neighbors, on the other hand, routinely demonstrate their irate and kid-like nature on a daily basis. As Nazz will soon come to understand, however, maturity has its consequences.  
_

Nazz took in a breath of fresh air and then began to walk across her yard at a leisurely pace, wanting to take her time and enjoy her day. She took another look around the cul-de-sac, this time looking for the other kids, hoping to get her day started by finding her two best friends, Kevin and Rolf. She didn't see them anywhere, but she did see Jimmy and Sarah sitting on Sarah's front lawn playing with several doll houses and a large assortment of dolls, action figures, and vehicles. Nazz changed course and walked toward the two younger ones, hoping that they could assist her in locating Kevin and Rolf. "Hey, do you guys know where Kevin and Rolf are?" Nazz asked as she came with talking distance of Sarah and Jimmy, who both looked away from their toys and toward her.

"Hey, Nazz!" Jimmy said before smiling at her. "I think I saw Kevin and Rolf walking toward the playground," he added, Nazz nodding in response.

"Thanks for your help, Jimmy," Nazz answered as she started to walk away.

"Hold on, Nazz," Sarah suddenly said, causing Nazz to stop and turn back to her and Jimmy. "Why would you want to go hang out with them when you could come play with us?" she asked as she grinned and held up one of her dolls and a miniature car. "We could really use an extra person to help us out with all these toys!" she exclaimed. Nazz smiled back at her, but she knew that she didn't want to stick around and play with dolls and action figures, of all things. As much as she liked Sarah and Jimmy, they were still kids, and some of the things that they did really didn't appeal to someone like her.

"As fun as that sounds, Sarah, I think I'm going to pass this time," Nazz responded, causing Sarah's smile to falter a bit. "I'm not really into playing with dolls anymore, since that's only for little kids, but you two dudes can still have fun, okay?" she added, trying her best not to sound rude.

"Fine," Sarah answered as she sat the car and doll down by one of the doll houses. "Go and play with your stupid friends, then," she muttered, not seeing why Nazz wouldn't want to play with her and Jimmy.

"Sarah, I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's fine, I understand," Sarah said, cutting Nazz off. "Me and Jimmy will just stay here and play with our dolls today. But you'll probably end up playing with us tomorrow or something, right?" she asked, as she smiled up at Nazz.

"Maybe," Nazz replied, although she knew that was a promise she was unwilling to keep. "Anyway, I better go catch Kevin and Rolf before they decide to run off. See you guys around!" she said cheerfully before waving at them and walking away, Sarah and Jimmy waving in response.

"Come on, Jimmy, let's go inside my house; I have some even better dolls and some new doll houses I want to show you that we can play with tomorrow..." Sarah suggested as she stood up and dusted herself off.

"Oh goody, I love new toys!" Jimmy exclaimed as Sarah took his hand and led him toward her house.

* * *

A basketball soared through the air and flew perfectly through a basketball hoop, causing Kevin to grin widely and Rolf to look on in surprise. "Once again, Rolf is amazed at your prowess with the basketball!" Rolf exclaimed as he walked over and retrieved the basketball, which had bounced a few times after going through the hoop and was beginning to roll away from the playing area.

"Hey, what can I say, I've just got major skills," Kevin bragged, stroking his rapidly expanding ego.

"Perhaps, hotshot Kevin, but Rolf bets that you cannot defeat him in a one on one basketball duel to the death!" Rolf proclaimed as he began to dribble the basketball.

"Yeah right, no offense, Rolf, but you're gonna get stomped if you go up against me!" Kevin claimed as he smiled eagerly. "But if we're really gonna do this, let's not make it to the death, I gotta do some chores when I get back home," he joked, causing Rolf to laugh.

"Then the game is on!" Rolf shouted as he began to dribble the ball more rapidly; Kevin readied himself to block Rolf from trying to make a basket.

"Alright, what are we playing to?" Kevin asked as he stared down Rolf, who returned his determined stare.

"We are playing to-" Rolf began, but stopped when he spotted Nazz walking toward them. "Ah, I see that go-go Nazz-girl has arrived to witness hard-head Kevin getting his tail beaten by Rolf at basketball!" he exclaimed, causing Kevin to turn around and face Nazz, who had stopped at the edge of the playing area.

"I don't know, Rolf, Kevin's pretty good..." Nazz warned before crossing her arms and smiling radiantly.

"Thanks, Nazz," Kevin commented as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Uh... so anyway, you can play with us if you want," he offered. "It'd be better than standing around and watching us play, ya know?" he explained.

"Hey, I love playing basketball, but it'd have to be two versus one if I played," Nazz answered. "But I'm sure we could find a way to work it out somehow," she added as Rolf cleared his throat.

"Rolf suggests that we-"

"Or it could be three versus three!" a voice suddenly shouted from behind the three, causing them to turn around. They all went bug-eyed when their eyes fell upon Lee Kanker, who stood next to the basketball hoop grinning at them. Nazz, Kevin, and Rolf just stood there for a few moments, none of them knowing how to react to Lee's sudden appearance. Kevin, finally deciding on a plan of action, slowly walked up behind Nazz and leaned in close to her ear, his eyes fixed on Lee the whole time.

"Run... me and Rolf will hold her off," Kevin whispered into Nazz's ear, not wanting her to get hurt by Lee.

"What's the matter, scared of little old me?" Lee asked as she crossed her arms, her grin growing wider. Rolf began to back away slowly, debating in his head whether he should just make a run for it or risk staying to see what happened. Rolf suddenly jumped in fright when he bumped into someone that was standing behind him; he whirled around and came face to face with Marie Kanker, who was smiling insidiously.

"How about you, big guy? You ain't scared, are ya?" Marie teased as she stepped toward him menacingly, causing Rolf to back off toward Kevin and Nazz, who still had their eyes locked on Lee.

"Leave us alone!" Nazz exclaimed as Rolf joined she and Kevin in the middle of the playing area, Lee and Marie moving in closer.

"Why don't you make us?" May Kanker asked threateningly, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, just as her sisters had done.

"Don't you three have some 'boyfriends' to bother or something?" Kevin asked in an angry tone, although on the inside he was scared out of his wits.

"Hey, we ain't here to fight, we just want to play a fair game of basketball is all," Lee explained as she stopped only a few feet from the three shivering preteens, her sisters doing the same. "Ain't that right girls?"

"Yeah, but I guess these three wimps are too scared to take on us," Marie answered as she stared Rolf in the eyes, who could only stare back at her in silent fear. "I don't blame them, though, they probably all suck at basketball."

"Heck, I bet they don't even know what a basketball is!" May mocked before guffawing, her sisters joining in on the laughter. Kevin gritted his teeth, having enough of the teasing by the three bullies.

"Alright, you want us to take you three on?" Kevin exclaimed boldly, causing the Kankers' laughter to die down. He stomped toward Lee and put his face inches from hers, a snarl on his face. Nazz was tempted to pull him away from Lee, thinking that his sudden move was stupid, but she did nothing out of fear of provoking the Kankers. "Then I say bring it on; you and your stupid sisters against me, Nazz, and Rolf," he challenged, causing Lee and her sisters to grin. Nazz almost felt like protesting, not wanting to be dragged into this game, but fear once again stopped her from doing anything.

"Okay, tough guy, but if me and my stupid sisters win, then you and your stupid friends owe us five bucks," Lee responded, causing Kevin to cringe a bit. "Each," she added, causing Nazz and Rolf to look at each other in terror. Kevin knew he didn't have that kind of money on him, and he was sure Nazz and Rolf didn't either, but he wasn't about to back down now.

"Fine, but if we win, you three can't set foot in the cul-de-sac for a week!" Kevin shouted back, knowing that would hit them right where it hurts; after all, the Kankers loved to go and bother everyone in the cul-de-sac, especially the Eds, and not being able to come anywhere near the cul-de-sac for an entire week would be painful for them. Lee stopped to think for a moment, obviously debating on the inside whether or not the money would be worth the risk.

"You got yourself a deal, jockstrap," Lee responded before spitting on her hand and sticking out toward him, Kevin looking down at it in disgust.

"Uh..." Kevin uttered, not wanting to touch Lee's nasty hand.

"Shake it, or the deal's off and we just beat the snot out of you and your friends and call it a day," Lee threatened, causing Kevin to sigh and bring his hand forward.

"It's a deal," Kevin said as he took Lee's hand and shook it firmly, almost wanting to gag at the feeling of her spit sliding against the palm of his hand.

"Good," Lee answered as she let go of Kevin's hand; he quickly wiped his hand on his shirt, wanting to be rid of the nasty substance that coated it. "But we get the ball first," she added as she nodded at Marie, who quickly snatched the basketball from Rolf while he was looking at Lee. Marie and May then walked over to Lee and stood on either side of her, Marie dribbling the ball on the ground lightly. Nazz, Kevin, and Rolf each got in a line facing them; Nazz and Rolf were obviously nervous, neither of them having seen the Kankers play basketball before and fearing that they might be really good or something. Kevin, however, maintained a look of confidence, knowing that letting himself give into his fears would only give the Kankers an advantage.

"Kevin, are you sure this was such a good idea?" Nazz whispered to Kevin. She knew that something wasn't right here; the Kankers were going to pull something, she was almost sure of it.

"Look, it was either agree to play these goons at basketball or get thrashed by them... besides, me and Rolf are pros at basketball, there's no way they can beat us," Kevin answered quietly before turning his attention back to the Kankers, who all were all grinning widely, obviously confident that they would win in the end.

"First to ten wins," Lee announced as Marie dribbled the basketball intensely and chuckled lightly, relishing the fear on Nazz and Rolf's faces.

"Alright, Rolf, you block Marie, and Nazz, you block May," Kevin whispered as he readied himself. "I've got Lee," he said as his eyes locked onto Lee, who was whispering something to her sisters. Lee turned her attention back to Kevin, Nazz, and Rolf and her smile twisted into a frown.

"Now let's crush these losers!" Lee shouted as she and May went out, leaving Marie to dribble the basketball. Rolf quickly moved in front of Marie, stopping several feet in front of her, while Kevin and Nazz both moved to keep Lee and May in check.

"Are we going to, how do you say, check the ball?" Rolf asked as Marie continued to dribble the basketball.

"Sure, we'll check the ball..." Marie answered as she bounced the ball a few more times. Kevin and Nazz watched Marie nervously, ready for anything; Lee and May grinned evilly, knowing what was coming. Marie suddenly shot the ball forward toward Rolf's leg, and his eyes followed the ball as it bounced off of his leg and right back to her. Marie quickly caught the ball and shot past Rolf, causing the taller boy to whirl around and scramble to catch up with her.

"Curse you, tricky Kanker-girl, Rolf will make you pay for this!" he shouted as Marie zoomed forward, easily outrunning him.

"Darn it, Rolf!" Nazz cursed as she left her post by May and ran forward, blocking Marie and stopping her short of a clean shot at the basket.

"Ha, what are you gonna do, blondie?" Marie taunted as she looked over at May, who Nazz had left open. She quickly passed the ball over to May, who easily caught it.

"Good one, Marie!" Lee called out; Kevin watched in horror as May rushed toward the basket. He knew he had no choice but to block her himself; Rolf was still running to catch up and Nazz had to cover Marie in case May tried to shoot it back to her. Kevin rushed forward and blocked May, who quickly stopped in front of him and dribbled the ball to her side, trying to keep it out of his reach.

"You ain't getting past me, you buck-toothed freak!" Kevin insulted, a sneer on his face.

"Says the no-toothed freak!" May shot back, causing Kevin to look at her in confusion.

"What do you-" Kevin began to ask, but was quickly cut off when May punched him right in the mouth. He fell backwards and his hands shot up to his mouth, which was aching with pain.

"Hey, that's cheating!" Nazz called out as she looked at Kevin in horror, who had fallen to the ground and was holding his mouth in agony.

"Street rules, sucker!" May exclaimed before running forward, jumping up, and dunking the basketball, causing Lee and Marie to let out a cheer. Nazz and Rolf quickly ran over to Kevin, who had sat up, although he still held his mouth with one of his hands.

"Are you alright, Kevin?" Nazz asked in concern as Rolf grabbed Kevin's arm and helped him to his feet.

"Let go of me, Rolf!" Kevin shouted as he ripped his arm away from Rolf, who looked down at him in shock.

"Rolf was only trying to help..." he said in response, taken aback by Kevin's rude behavior.

"I can't believe that stupid Kanker punched me in the mouth..." Kevin muttered as he looked over at the Kankers, who were giving each other high fives and laughing incessantly.

"Kevin, we can't do this, they're obviously going to just cheat to win..." Nazz pleaded, knowing that this was probably only the beginning of what the Kankers would do just to claim victory.

"No way, Nazz, I'm not going to let those three rejects have the satisfaction of beating me," Kevin shot back, his pride getting in the way of reason.

"This isn't all about you, Kevin, we've just gotta give up while we're all still in one piece," Nazz suggested, causing him to sigh and then look over at the Kankers again in anger.

"Rolf agrees with Nazz-girl on this one, Kevin... this game will bear no fruit, save for our cries of anguish," Rolf warned.

"Listen, it doesn't matter whether we give up now or keep at it... the Kankers are going to have their fun with us either way, so we might as well keep playing. At least that way we still have a chance of winning and getting those Kankers to leave us alone for a while," Kevin explained, causing Rolf and Nazz to nod in reluctant agreement. Nazz knew he was right; giving up wouldn't make the Kankers leave them alone, so they had no choice but to keep playing.

"Alright, I guess we'll keep playing, but I don't want to play the way the Kankers are... I don't think I can bring myself to hit them, even if they deserve it," Nazz answered.

"Don't worry, Nazz, none of us are gonna hit them. We're gonna prove to those stupid Kankers that we can play fair and square and still whip their tails," Kevin vowed, his confidence and anger making him forget all about the pulsating pain coming from his mouth. Nazz sighed as the three of them turned back to the Kankers, the three sisters grinning back at them knowingly. She knew this wasn't going to end well.

* * *

"Screw those stupid pieces of trailer trash garbage!" Kevin screamed as he punched a fence with all his strength, causing a huge reverberation to shake throughout it. Nazz, Rolf, and Kevin all stood in the lane, each of them exhausted after their game with the Kanker sisters. They all had cuts and bruises all over them, Kevin having the most of all of them; he refused to let the Kankers walk all over them, and he had paid the price for doing so. No matter how hard Nazz, Kevin, and Rolf tried, they just couldn't score a single basket, mostly due to the fact that the Kankers just punched or kicked them as soon as they got anywhere close to scoring. Nazz was just glad the entire ordeal was over, although she knew it wasn't really over; after all, since the Kankers had won, she, Kevin, and Rolf all owed them five bucks each, and the Kankers told them they were coming to collect it tomorrow.

"Kevin, just calm down, you can't let them get to you like this," Nazz said soothingly, wanting to calm Kevin down. He punched the fence lightly a few more times, wanting to calm down like Nazz said, but finding it difficult to do so.

"I know..." Kevin began as he turned around to face Nazz and Rolf. "Look, I know being angry ain't gonna solve anything, but I just can't help it... I can't believe we let those three cheaters win... we should've just fought back and played by their rules..." he complained before sighing. "And now we owe them all that money... man, this day was going so well too," he added as he leaned up against the fence.

"If you do not have the money to repay the rotten Kanker-girls, then Rolf can offer you shelter in his cellar, where Rolf has weathered the wrath of the Kanker-girls before!" Rolf offered as he rubbed his side, which was sore from the game.

"Thanks, dude, but I don't think that's going to help much... unless we all plan on living in your cellar for the rest of our lives, the Kankers will probably just keep bothering us until we cough up the money," Nazz answered solemnly. The three of them then stood there silently, each of them wondering what they were going to do. Kevin hated standing around sulking, so he knew he had to do something to keep his mind, and his anger, off of the Kankers.

"Uh... look, let's just head back to my place and hang out," Kevin recommended as he stepped away from the fence and toward Nazz and Rolf. "We can figure out what we're going to do about the money tomorrow... I just want to salvage what's left of this day and have some fun," he added, causing Nazz and Rolf to smile.

"Right you are! And perhaps Rolf can use some healing techniques from the old country to sooth the pain that riddles all of our bodies, yes?" Rolf suggested, Nazz nodding in response.

"Sounds great, dude," Nazz answered as the three of them began to head toward Rolf's house. She was happy to see that Kevin and Rolf were both trying to improve the day, but she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread about tomorrow. She didn't have the money to repay the Kankers, so she didn't know what she was actually going to do when they came to collect. She thought humorously about setting up a scam like the Eds always did to obtain the money, which cheered her up a little. But only a little.

* * *

Nazz slowly pulled her blanket over her body, which was still wracked with pain from her earlier encounter with the Kankers. She had had a good time hanging out with Kevin and Rolf, although she had to turn down Rolf's remedies for her pain; after all, anything that involved a mallet, a squid, and a can of shaving cream couldn't possibly be healthy. Nazz sucked in a breath of air and put her head down on her soft pillow. She turned her head and looked at a digital clock that sat on a desk next to her bed; in bright red letters it told her that it was eleven thirty. Nazz sighed and turned her head away to look up toward the ceiling. Now that her time with Kevin and Rolf was over and she was alone, her mind couldn't help but wander to tomorrow, which she definitely wasn't looking forward to. She didn't know when the Kankers would come for their money, but she hoped she could find something else that she could exchange instead. Her eyes slowly began to close, drowsiness overcoming her. And soon, she was asleep.

* * *

Nazz's eyes fluttered open and she looked up toward her ceiling, which was illuminated by the sun shining in through her window, although the light seemed dim and faded. She stared at the ceiling for a moment, almost afraid to get up and start her day. Nazz sat up, fearing the pain that would likely shoot throughout her body, but she was pleasantly surprised to find that there was no pain at all. "Wow, I guess laughter isn't the best medicine, sleep is..." Nazz whispered to herself before looking at the clock that rested beside her bed, which told her in dull red letters that it was twelve o'clock on the dot. Nazz scooted to the edge of her bed and landed softly on the floor. She began to walk toward her closet door, hoping to freshen up and start her day, although she was admittedly more than a little scared to do so; the prospect of the Kankers coming to get the money that she owed them without warning scared the daylights out of her, but she knew just sitting around in her room wouldn't help the problem, so she had no choice but go on with her day, whether she liked it or not.

After gathering some clothes and laying them out on her bed and retrieving a towel, Nazz stood in the bathroom, the towel wrapped around her as she prepared to take a shower. She reached down toward the handle to turn on the water, wanting to adjust it before hopping right in. She twisted the handle and expected water to come flooding out of the shower head. She was surprised, however, when no water issued forth. In fact, not even a drop dripped from the shower head. "That's weird..." she muttered to herself as she twisted the handle every which way, although nothing seemed to work. _I guess something must be wrong with the water... I guess I'll have to skip the shower for now_ Nazz thought to herself, although she wasn't happy about it.

Nazz dressed up in fresh clothes and then headed down to the kitchen, hoping to get some breakfast. As she entered the kitchen, she suddenly stopped and realized that she wasn't hungry. It was an odd feeling to wake up and not be hungry for at least a bite of something, but she figured it might be because she was still nervous about the money that the Kankers were no doubt on their way to get. After all, it was already noon, and she was sure the Kankers would come as soon as they were done with whatever chores they had, or whatever they did when they weren't bothering her and the others. She mentally shrugged and decided to go ahead and get her day started; hopefully going outside would make her feel better.

Nazz stepped outside of her door and shut it tightly behind her and then turned around to face the cul-de-sac, which had a strange look to it. The sky had a dreadfully dreary appearance, seeming like nothing but a large gray mass, and the sun almost seemed like a dim light bulb that hung in the dull sky. The houses, however, seemed brighter than ever, almost as if they had absorbed all of the suns rays, stealing it's brightness and weakening it. She sighed before walking out into her yard and toward the street. She knew she had to go see Kevin and Rolf before the Kankers came. They could at least plan out what they were going to do if they couldn't come up with the fifteen dollars. She began to walk toward Rolf's house, which was a bit closer than Kevin's, who lived across from Rolf. Nazz noticed that the cul-de-sac was completely empty for some odd reason; she had at least expected to see Sarah or Jimmy playing outside, or even the Eds setting up for their next little scheme. She reached Rolf's yard and began to walk toward his door, which was a pasty white. She reached the door and then rapped on it lightly. While she was waiting for Rolf to answer, she turned around and looked around the cul-de-sac nervously, hoping that the Kankers didn't decide to show up until later.

"I wonder what's taking him so long..." Nazz muttered to herself before turning around and looking at Rolf's door. It had been a whole minute since she had knocked, and still no one had come. She knocked on the door again, this time a bit harder, hoping that maybe Rolf just hadn't heard her. She found herself staring at his door for literally minutes, and she sucked her in teeth in annoyance. She was usually very patient, but this was just getting ridiculous. Nazz suddenly remembered that Rolf had said something about hiding from the Kankers in his cellar, and she quickly ran off of Rolf's front porch and toward his backyard. She hopped his fence and ran around the back, spotting the entrance to his cellar instantly. She walked over to the cellar and rapped on it a few times, afraid that just opening it might startle him. She turned around looked at Rolf's yard, which was strangely absent of animals. She realized that he must've take them into the cellar with him, and she then turned back around to face the cellar doors, which were still tightly shut.

After a few more minutes of waiting, Nazz began to once again grow impatient. She reached down toward the cellar doors and took hold of their handles; she yanked on them hard, but was surprised to find that the cellar doors didn't budge at all. "What in the world..." she whispered before trying again. Once more, however, the cellar doors didn't move an inch. She removed her hands from the hands, not understanding how it was possible that the cellar doors could be so tightly shut. She leaned down toward the doors and stared at them closely; to her surprise, there appeared to be some kind of sealant in the crack between the doors, and that was obviously the cause of the doors being so resistant to her tugging on them. _Now why would Rolf seal his cellar shut? _Nazz thought to herself. She began to wonder, with a bit of anger, if Rolf was down there hiding from the Kankers and just didn't want to let her in.

"Rolf, it's just me, Nazz!" she yelled at the cellar doors. There was no response. Nazz crossed her arms and began to think about the situation a bit more clearly; it wouldn't be like Rolf to leave her out here by herself, as he was usually nice and hospitable. No, there was something else going on here, and she was going to get to the bottom of it. She walked away from the cellar doors and back toward the cul-de-sac, her next thought being that perhaps Kevin knew where Rolf was, or that Rolf was actually at Kevin's house. She quickly crossed the street and marched up to Kevin's house. She reached his door and then knocked loudly, hoping that he would answer quickly so that she wouldn't have to stand out in the open for much longer. Nazz was once again stuck standing there for minutes, however, Kevin being a no-show just like Rolf.

_What is with these two? They better not have left me! _Nazz thought, a mix of anger and fear swirling around in her. It wasn't like Kevin and Rolf to leave her hanging like this, but, then again, they were obviously just as scared of the Kanker sisters as everyone else was, so she wouldn't put it past them to leave her to face the heat instead of them. She just found it a bit odd, especially since Kevin had seemed so willing to throw himself out there to protect her yesterday. Regardless of these thoughts, Nazz knew she had to find out where they went, and she was sure that one of the other residents might know where they had run off to.

Nazz quickly walked over to Eddy's house, which was right next door; she knew that Eddy and Kevin weren't exactly friends, the complete opposite really, but she figured that Eddy, since he lived right next door, might've seen where Kevin went or whether Rolf had come over Kevin's house. She decided to go around back and knock on Eddy's backdoor, which led directly to his room. She rounded the house and walked up to Eddy's door and knocked on it, hoping that he would actually respond, unlike Rolf and Kevin. Nazz was more than a little bit surprised to find that Eddy wasn't answering his door either. She knew it might be normal, as Eddy and his two friends, Ed and Edd, usually were out setting up a scam to use on the other kids as soon as they woke up, but she was starting to feel a bit paranoid. After all, she hadn't seen a soul since she had gotten up, no one was answering their doors, and the cul-de-sac was very, very quiet. In fact, she had never heard it so quiet in her entire life. As she stood there, she realized that nothing was making any noise. There were no birds chirping, no cars being started, and no lawn mowers or weed whackers being revved up. There was only silence.

Nazz's breathing began to get heavy and she had to lean against Eddy's door for support. Everything was strange today, it seemed. First, it seemed like she had healed in one night from the abuse from yesterday, which she found hard to believe, especially with how rough the Kankers had been. Second, the water in her house wasn't working, and she couldn't find an explanation for it. Third, she wasn't hungry or thirsty at all, although it was actually even stranger than that; she felt hollow on the inside, but not from hunger. It was just a strong hollow sensation that she couldn't explain. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. Her mind got back on track, and she focused on the strangest thing of all: the cul-de-sac seemed deserted. But she knew that couldn't be true; there was no way everyone just up and left in the middle of the night without her noticing. "That's it..." Nazz whispered before darting away from Eddy's door and running out to the middle of the cul-de-sac. She stopped in the dead center of the cul-de-sac and looked around. She didn't see anyone, save for the houses that surrounded her on almost every side. Nazz sucked in a huge breath of air and cupped her hands around her mouth.

"Where is everybody?" Nazz shouted with all her strength. She whirled around, looking for any sign of anybody. Not a soul was in sight. She gathered another breath of air. "Is anybody here? Anybody at all?" she shouted. Once again, no one responded to her shouting, and the cul-de-sac stayed as silent and as empty as ever. Nazz fell back and sat in the middle of the cul-de-sac crossed legged, not knowing what to do. Everyone had left for some reason, but they had left her behind. She didn't know what could've happened in the middle of the night that had caused this mass exodus of kids, but she feared that it might be for some health reason, and that they had accidentally left her behind. After all, that could explain why the water in her house wasn't working, and it might also explain the strange feeling that she felt inside of herself. She just resigned herself to sitting there, the silence almost deafening as she listened closely for even the slightest noise.

A strange sound suddenly issued forth from somewhere behind Nazz, and her head swiveled around to face the source. Her eyes locked onto Sarah's house. Nazz stared at it for a few moments, as if waiting for the sound to repeat one more time so that she was sure she wasn't hearing things. After a few moments of silence, Nazz stood up, although her eyes were still fixated on Sarah's house. She knew she had heard something, and she was going to check it out. Even if it just turned out to be an animal or something, it would still bring her great relief to know that _something_ was still alive and well in the cul-de-sac. Nazz walked toward Sarah's house slowly at first, but then picked up speed, quickly reaching Sarah's front door. She stopped and listened closely, thinking that the sound had come from within the house. She didn't hear anything at first, but she suddenly heard the sound again, although this time she could tell that it had come from behind Sarah's house; it sounded like rubber sliding up against grass. Nazz dashed away from the front door and rounded the side of the house, although she made sure to stay as quiet as she could; she didn't want whatever was making the sound to run away.

Nazz sneaked up the side of Sarah's house and peaked around the corner and out into Sarah's backyard. She didn't see anyone, but there were a few things scattered around the backyard, such as chairs, towels, a beach ball, and Sarah's kiddie pool, which was flipped upside down. She stepped out a bit from around the corner of the house to see the entire backyard, but she could plainly see that not a living thing was in sight. She sighed and begin to walk into the backyard, hopelessness once again welling up inside of her. Something had made a noise back here, yet she didn't see anyone or anything that could've done it. She stopped in the middle of the yard and took one last look around before taking a deep breath and turning around, deciding to search the rest of the cul-de-sac. She suddenly froze as soon as she turned around, however, when she heard the weird noise once more; this time, it was directly behind her. She whirled around, expecting the worst, but saw nothing but the kiddie pool, which sat only a few feet behind her, still flipped over. She sighed with relief, realizing that it must be the wind moving the pool slightly that was making the noise. _What wind? _she thought to herself, realizing that she didn't even feel the slightest breeze.

"What the..." Nazz whispered in fear before choking up. Her eyes locked onto the center of the pool, where she could see a slight lump that rose upwards. Something was underneath of the pool, and whatever it was, it was alive, as she could see the pool shifting around ever so slightly, almost not enough to even notice. Nazz felt a cold shiver run up her spine as she began to slowly move toward the kiddie pool, which still continued to move insignificantly. She reached down toward the kiddie pool, her hand shaking as it grasped the side of the pool, a squeaking sound issuing forth as she did so. As soon as she grabbed hold of the pool, it suddenly shot upwards, causing her to jump back and shriek in terror.

"I don't want to be taken away!" Ed yelled as he shot out from under the pool and ran off toward the side of the house. Nazz whirled around and watched him as he ran, still in disbelief. She quickly shook off her disbelief, however, realizing that she had actually found someone other than herself who still remained in the cul-de-sac.

"Ed, wait!" Nazz called out as she began to run after the terrified boy, although he had a head start and was faster than her. Nazz already lost sight of Ed, as he rounded the side of the house and was out of sight, although she could still here his rapid breaths and his feet pounding on the dirt. "Please come back!" she shouted after Ed as she too rounded the side of the house; she could see him running toward Jonny's house, and she picked up her pace. She didn't understand why he was running from her, but she didn't want to be left alone again. Nazz once again lost sight of him when he burst through Jonny's front door and shut it behind him. She ran up to Jonny's door and stopped for a quick breather, sweat beginning to form on her brow. She recovered after a few moments and grabbed hold of the handle and turned it, surprised to find it unlocked.

Nazz slowly opened the door, a little scared that Ed might jump out and frighten her for a second time. Nazz opened the door all the way and stepped into Jonny's living room carefully. She lightly closed the door behind her and then took a look around the room. There were a few throw rugs on the floor and there were a large amount of pillows sitting around on the floor. There was a bookshelf on the right side of the room and a fireplace across from it on the opposite wall. On the far wall was a table with a few plants and electronics sitting on top of it. Nazz stepped farther into the room and looked around a second time, although there was once again no sign of Ed. "Darn it, I can't believe I let him get away..." she whispered to herself, frustrated that even after locating another person she still felt clueless and alone, especially since Ed had run from her as soon as she had found him. A crash from the kitchen made Nazz jump, the sudden sound frightening her, but she quickly realized that it must be Ed. She rushed toward Jonny's kitchen, which was through a doorway with several strings of beads hanging down from it.

"Get out, Ed, they'll find both of us if we both hide in here!" Nazz heard a panicked voice yell as she came within feet of the doorway.

"Please, Jonny, the hands are out there!" Nazz heard Ed cry as she drew closer and closer to the doorway. "They'll grab me and squeeze me until my organs pop out of my nostrils!" Ed added in fear as Nazz peaked through the doorway. She spotted Jonny and Ed on the far side of the room: Jonny was hiding underneath of his kitchen table, Plank pulled close to his side, and Ed was trying to get Jonny to let him crawl under the table with him, although Jonny had one of his arms out, stopping Ed from doing so.

"Plank says to scram! We aren't letting them take us!" Jonny cried as he pushed Ed away, causing him to fall backwards onto his rump. "Better you than me and Plank!" he added resolutely, although he was obviously scared, his entire body shaking with fear.

"What in the world is going on you two?" Nazz asked as she stepped through the doorway, revealing herself to the two panicked boys. Ed whirled around on his knees and faced her; his face was contorted into one of unbridled and absolute terror. Jonny looked no better, and his clothes appeared to be torn and weathered in places.

"Oh great, now we have two people trying to steal our hiding spot, Plank!" Jonny complained as he shoved himself deeper under his kitchen table, wanting to be in the shadow as much as possible.

"Nazz, Jonny won't let me hide with him!" Ed whined as he crawled over to her and grabbed hold of her leg.

"Let go of me!" Nazz cried before pulling her leg away from Ed, still in the dark about what was going on.

"Get out of here or me and Plank will scream so loud that they'll come for you two and take you away, just like the others..." Jonny threatened in a low voice, desperate to get Nazz and Ed out of his house. Nazz looked at Jonny incredulously, taken aback at how cruel and uncaring he was being.

"Will someone just tell me what is going on?" Nazz requested, her voice high and whiny. She was at wit's end, and she just wanted to know why Ed and Jonny were acting so scared, as well as what happened to the other kids.

"You... you mean you don't know?" Jonny asked, a bit of shock in his voice and on his face. Nazz looked over at Ed, who slowly stood up; Ed looked equally shocked at her admission of ignorance.

"Oh no, what if they wiped Nazz's brain and she is now their servant?" Ed shouted in fear as he backed away from her.

"No one wiped my brain, Ed, I just want to know what happened and where everyone is!" Nazz answered as she stepped toward Ed, who backed into the kitchen table where Jonny hid. Ed and Jonny both just stared at her for a moment, as if they were both too frightened to even speak anymore.

"Ed, she must've just woken up..." Jonny whispered up to Ed, who was still watching Nazz carefully, the idea of brainwashing still in his mind. Jonny then shifted his attention to Nazz, who stared at he and Ed, a clueless expression on her face. "All you need to know is that you shouldn't be running around out in the open, let alone shouting! Me and Plank could hear you running around yelling from all the way in here!" he quickly explained.

"Well what was I supposed to do, Jonny? I was scared, and I wanted to know where everyone was," Nazz responded, although Jonny still wasn't telling her anything of value. She suddenly realized why everyone must be hiding, and her expression turned to one of fear. "Oh no, I think I know what's going on here..." she began as she raised her hands to her mouth in horror. "The Kanker sisters are here, and they're tearing this place apart looking for me, Rolf, and Kevin, aren't they?" she asked as she began to shake in terror.

"I wish it was just the Kanker sisters, Nazz..." Jonny mumbled as he scooted further under the table, pressing Plank closer to his trembling body.

"But... if it isn't the Kanker sisters you guys are hiding from, then... then... then what are you guys hiding from?" Nazz asked, once again falling into confusion. Nothing was adding up here, and it was really bothering her; it didn't help that Ed and Jonny were pretty much rambling on about nothing, since she still couldn't tell what exactly had them so spooked. Ed looked behind him and out of Jonny's window, as if making sure nobody was watching, and then turned back to Nazz. He slowly began to move toward her, although it was clear he was a bit reluctant to do so. He came within a few feet of her and leaned toward her, obviously about to whisper something.

"We're hiding from the hands from the sky," Ed said in a barely audible, shaky voice. Nazz stared back at him, her head turned to the side a little like a confused canine. Hands from the sky? He couldn't be serious! But he looked didn't look like he was fooling around, so she didn't know what to think. She looked past Ed and at Jonny, who watched she and Ed from the darkness beneath the table. Jonny didn't looked like he was going to correct Ed, and that bewildered her even more. Nazz looked back at Ed, who looked like he was about to collapse from fright.

"Come on... stop... stop playing around, guys," Nazz began, although her voice was unsure. "Please tell me what's really going on..." she went on. Ed and Jonny looked at each other and then back at her.

"But that's the truth..." Ed answered as he ducked his head a little into his jacket. "The hands are out there, and they already got Kevin, Rolf, Eddy and Double D... and Sarah and Jimmy too, I think..." he explained as he whirled around, making sure that nothing was behind him. "And they're coming for us next!" he suddenly shouted, fear overtaking him as he continued to turn around rapidly, watching every direction in paranoia.

"You idiot! Plank says to stop yelling or they'll find us for sure!" Jonny warned from his hiding spot. This was ludicrous; Nazz still didn't believe any of this. Surely Ed and Jonny were just being over-dramatic about all this; after all, they were two people who were very prone to flights of fancy, and she wouldn't put it past them to embellish what was happening. Nazz suddenly reached out and grabbed Ed's shoulders, stopping him and making him face her.

"Look, you two, enough is enough!" Nazz said loudly, causing Ed and Jonny to don panicked expressions. "Now I think you two are just freaking out a little too much! Heck, I bet these hands you guys are talking about really are the Kanker sisters, and you guys are just too scared to see things for what they really are," she explained, hoping to calm them down. It was obvious, however, that her words only served to frighten them further.

"How do you know, Nazz?" Jonny asked as he moved a little out of the darkness to get a better look at her. "I mean, me, Plank, and Ed have been awake for hours, and you just woke up! We know what we saw! Hands... hands from the sky! And they won't stop until they take us all away!" he proclaimed fanatically; his ranting was actually beginning to frighten Nazz, and she feared that maybe Jonny had finally snapped for real. Ed suddenly fell to his knees in front of Nazz and he once again grabbed her leg, although this time she didn't try to stop him.

"And they took away Eddy and Double D! My two best pals are now snacks for the hands in the sky!" Ed cried in fear as began to sob, although no tears came from his eyes. Nazz did nothing but look on as Jonny's bottom lip began to quiver; he pulled Plank close to his side and he began to sob without tears as well, the entire ordeal being too much for him to handle. This was almost unreal to Nazz; she still couldn't fully believe what they were telling her, but she was beginning to fear that something serious was really going on, something far worse than the Kanker sisters paying a visit.

"Please, somebody help us!" a voice called from outside, causing Jonny and Ed to stop crying and whirl around to face the window.

"Did you hear that?" Jonny asked as he scrambled to his feet and dashed behind Nazz. "It sounded like someone just called for help..." he mumbled as he watched the window in terror. Ed climbed to his feet and got behind Nazz as well, fearing for the worst. Nazz watched the window carefully, still unbelieving of what she just heard. If she didn't know any better, the voice that they all heard sounded a lot like-

"Someone assist us! The son of a shepherd does not wish to die!" another voice called out. Nazz now knew for sure who was outside screaming for help: Kevin and Rolf. Nazz began to move toward the window, desperate to see what was happening to her two friends. Jonny suddenly grabbed hold of Nazz's shoulder, stopping her in her tracks.

"No way, Nazz, if they're outside then they're goners!" Jonny cried, although he was really afraid that Nazz would give away where they were hiding. She turned to Jonny, a slightly peeved expression on her face. "Besides, we saw Kevin and Rolf get taken away before... they're probably being used as bait!" he added.

"Look, Jonny, if what you and Ed are saying about these 'hands' are true, then we've got to go help Kevin and Rolf... I don't want them get taken by these things again," Nazz explained, although she felt stupid saying it. The thought of hands from the sky certainly did frighten her, but she still wasn't buying it completely. "Now let's go help them already!" she exclaimed; Jonny and Ed just watched her, both of them obviously not wanting to accompany her. Nazz couldn't believe this; Ed and Jonny were usually fairly nice, but here they were, willing to just hide in fright and let two people who obviously needed help fend for themselves. "Alright, then I'll just do it myself," she finally relented.

"I don't think that's such a good idea..." Jonny warned as he stared at Nazz, who had obviously already made up her mind.

"I don't care, they're my friends and they need my help," Nazz responded resolutely.

"Fine, but Plank says don't blame us if you get snatched up yourself," Jonny replied before looking over at Ed and tugging at his sleeve. "Come on, Ed, we better go hide in my room... the hands will never find us there!" he suggested as Ed nodded. The two of them then scampered off to find haven in Jonny's room, leaving Nazz by herself once more. She sighed and then turned back to the window, now a little unsure whether she wanted to go outside herself.

"For the love of God, someone help us, please!" Nazz heard Kevin shout, his voice filled with desperation. She decided she couldn't waste time looking out the window; from the sound of things, Kevin and Rolf needed her help right now. Nazz rushed through the doorway to the living room and ran toward Jonny's front door. She quickly grabbed the handle, twisted it, and swung the door open, letting the dim light from the sun flood into Jonny's dark house.

* * *

"That's the last of 'em, Lee!" May called out as she carefully placed the last plate into a cabinet and then closed it. She tossed a towel she was using to dry the dishes onto the counter, and then began to walk toward the living room.

"Took you long enough," Lee commented as May walked into the living room; Lee and Marie lounged casually on the couch, both of their eyes locked onto their television, where Fish Bowl II played. Lee stood up and stretched, and Marie pushed the power button on the remote, turning off the television. "Now let's go get our loot from those chumps in the cul-de-sac," Lee said as Marie jumped up off of the couch and grinned.

"I still can't believe how easy it was to beat those three losers at basketball," Marie jeered as she and her sisters began to move toward their front door.

"Hey, not everyone can be as good as us, Marie," Lee joked before bursting out into laughter, her sisters doing the same. The three of them then exited through their front door and headed toward the cul-de-sac to pay a visit to Nazz, Kevin, and Rolf.

* * *

Nazz stepped outside and shut Jonny's front door behind her, and then looked out into the cul-de-sac. It didn't take her very long to spot who she was looking for: Kevin and Rolf were in the middle of the cul-de-sac, although neither of them looked in good condition. Kevin's clothes were ripped and torn in places and Rolf was helping to keep him on his feet, Kevin looking like he would collapse at any moment. "Guys, it's me, I'm here to help!" Nazz called out before running across Jonny's yard and toward Kevin and Rolf, who turned to face her. As she ran toward them, she was puzzled to see that they seemed unhappy to see her. Scared to see her, even.

"No, Nazz, don't come any closer!" Kevin shouted, causing her to freeze in her tracks at the sidewalk. "It's a trap!"

"But Kevin-"

"Kevin is right, Nazz-girl, it is not as it seems!" Rolf called out. "Run now while you still have the chance! The hands will descend from the sky at any moment!" he cried. Nazz gulped at his mentioning of the hands; it seemed that even Rolf and Kevin hand encountered these hands, although she wasn't sure if they were literally giant hands from the sky or if the term "hands from the sky" was just figurative.

"Oh no, they're here!" Kevin screamed as he looked upwards behind Nazz, his face draining of all color. Nazz whirled around and looked up into the grey sky, and her mouth fell open as if she was about to shriek in terror, but no sound came out. She stared up in horror as a massive hand ripped through the grey sky and went straight toward Jonny's house. The hand grabbed hold of his roof and then yanked it upwards, flipping the roof open effortlessly, almost as if it was on hinges, revealing the second story of Jonny's house to the outside world. Nazz's eyes focused on two shivering forms who were revealed when the roof was opened up: Ed and Jonny. The two boys had their arms wrapped around each other as they stood in the middle of Jonny's room and stared up at the massive hand, which hovered over top of Jonny's house, as if waiting for just the right moment to move in and snatch them up.

"Don't take me away!" Ed screamed as the hand began to lower toward him and Jonny, who both fell to the floor and began to crawl away from the hand. Nazz began to move toward Jonny's house mindlessly, something inside of her telling her that she had to help Jonny and Ed before it was too late. Nazz suddenly felt two strong arms wrap around her midsection and pull her backwards, and she began to struggle to free herself.

"We must run while we have the chance, Nazz-girl!" Rolf cried as he pulled her away from Jonny's front yard.

"No, we have to help them!" Nazz countered as she continued her struggle, although it was clearly fruitless, as Rolf was far stronger than she was.

"Quick, Rolf, to my house!" Kevin called out as he began to run toward his house. Rolf quickly began to run after him, Nazz still secure in his tight grip.

"Let go of me!" Nazz screamed as she beat on Rolf with her fists, Rolf still refusing to release her until they reached safety.

"Take Plank instead!" Jonny pleaded as he threw Plank up at the hand. The hand swatted Plank away and he went flying out into the street, where he landed with a thud and bounced a few times. The hand then shot down toward Jonny and wrapped its fingers around his tiny body. It then began to pull him up toward the dark sky, Jonny screaming as he was pulled away from the ground. "Don't hurt me!" was the last thing Jonny cried before disappearing into the grey sky. Ed watched from the floor of Jonny's room as he disappeared, and he kept his eyes on the sky even after Jonny was long gone. His entire body shook with absolute terror as his wide eyes stayed locked onto the skies; he prayed with all his heart that the hands would take pity on him and leave him alone. After a few moments, Ed finally climbed to his feet, the hands seeming to be content with taking Jonny away for now. He began to move toward the hole in Jonny's floor that led to the first floor, but stopped when he heard Jonny's bed being flipped over behind him. Ed whirled around to come face to face with another one of the hands, which quickly rocketed toward him from across Jonny's room.

"Have mercy on me, mutant hand from the sky!" Ed shouted as the hand grabbed hold of him and pulled him rapidly toward the sky, his screams and shouts soon fading into nothingness as he disappeared into the grey mass.

* * *

"Alright, I think we'll be safe in here," Kevin said with much relief as he shut the door of his room tightly and turned to face Rolf and Nazz. Rolf finally let go of Nazz and she landed softly on her feet.

"Rolf is not so sure that we'll be safe in-" Rolf began to say, but was quickly cut off by a fuming Nazz.

"Why didn't we help them?" Nazz yelled in anger, causing Kevin's expression of relief to twist into one of panic.

"Nazz, keep it down or those hands will know where we are and get us next," Kevin recommended in a quiet tone, although it was clear it wasn't enough to calm Nazz down.

"I don't care about those hands, all I know is that it was wrong to leave our friends like that, especially in a situation like this!" Nazz shouted. "And even worse, I-" Rolf suddenly slapped his hand over her mouth, silencing her.

"Please, Nazz-girl, Rolf begs you to quell your fury, else we will become the hands' next victims," Rolf whispered into Nazz's ear. She couldn't believe how selfish everyone was being today, but she figured that Kevin and Rolf were right; being angry would get her nowhere. Besides, Ed and Jonny had been the same way, so it was obvious that everyone was really out to save their own skins. Rolf removed his hand from Nazz's mouth, and she sighed in defeat.

"Fine..." Nazz said in a melancholy tone. Kevin and Rolf seemed relieved that Nazz was now on the same page as them. Rolf sat down on Kevin's bed and Kevin walked over to his window and looked out to make sure that there was no sign of the hands. "But can you guys at least tell me how this all started?" she asked, wanting to at least know when these hands started terrorizing the cul-de-sac. Kevin sighed heavily and then turned to face her, a sorrowful look on his face.

"Well... it all started this morning when I called Rolf to come over my place to check out the piping in my house. For some reason, the water wasn't working, and I figured Rolf could help me find out what was wrong," Kevin explained as he leaned up against his wall and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, my water wasn't working either..." Nazz commented as Kevin cleared his throat to go on.

"We couldn't find out what was wrong, but we did hear some commotion outside, and so we headed out to go check what was going on. When we got outside, we saw the Eds running from the end of the street and into the cul-de-sac, all of them yelling about hands from the sky," Kevin went on. "At first me and Rolf thought it was part of some stupid scam, but then we saw them, and they... they... they just swooped down from the sky and snatched up Double D and Eddy before they could get to safety. Ed got lucky and managed to get hidden before they could snatch him up too... and I guess Jonny knew about the hands too, because I didn't even see the guy until just now when that hand tore his roof off," he related as he stared down at the floor. An eerie silence fell over the room after he stopped his explanation, his words weighing heavily on all three of them.

"I just don't get it... I don't understand where these hands came from, or what they want," Nazz finally said, breaking the silence. Rolf and Kevin looked at each other, strange looks on their faces. She saw this, and stepped toward Kevin. "You two know something, don't you?" she asked, causing him to look away from her. "Yeah... yeah, that's right... Jonny and Ed said that they saw the hands take away you two... and then you guys suddenly reappear in the middle of the cul-de-sac," she thought aloud as she watched Kevin, who was acting very nervous. "How do you two explain that, huh?" she questioned an obviously nervous Kevin.

"Nazz... look... there... there is more, but they told us not tell you, or... or they'd come for you next and make us watch as they pulled you to pieces..." Kevin said in a low, trembling voice.

"Who? Who told you, Kevin?" Nazz asked as she stepped toward him. His gaze shifted to her face, which was filled with the need to know what was going on.

"It was... it was- Augh!" Kevin cried as he fell to the ground gripped his chest and stomach in agony.

"Oh my gosh, Kevin, are you okay?" Nazz asked as she rushed forward and knelt beside Kevin, who was clearly in some kind of pain. Rolf quickly left his post at Kevin's bed and joined Nazz at her side, equally concerned by Kevin's current condition.

"It's this empty feeling in me..." Kevin moaned as his grip on his chest tightened. "It just won't go away, darn it!" Nazz's eyes widened at his words; it sounded like Kevin also felt the hollow feeling within him, just as she did.

"I feel it too, Kevin," Nazz admitted, causing Kevin to look up at her.

"Nazz... I-I know why we feel this way inside, and so does Rolf," Kevin revealed. Nazz looked over at Rolf, and he nodded slowly. Rolf opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but he froze when his eyes saw what was just outside of Kevin's window.

"What's wrong, Rolf?" Nazz asked as she and Kevin looked at Rolf in concern.

"Run for your life, Nazz-girl!" Rolf cried before grabbing Nazz by her shoulders and tossing her across the room and toward the door to Kevin's room. She hit the ground hard, but she quickly whirled around to face Rolf and Kevin. The entire side of the house suddenly opened up with ease, as if it was a giant door. Rolf and Kevin flipped around and screamed in terror as two massive hands flew into Kevin's house and grabbed them by their legs and began dragging them across the floor.

"No, don't take them, please!" Nazz begged as she climbed to her feet and began to run after Kevin and Rolf, both of whom clung onto the carpeting in Kevin's room for dear life.

"Get out of here while you still have the chance!" Kevin shouted as Nazz dived forward in an attempt to grab hold of Kevin and Rolf's arms.

"No!" Nazz screamed in horror as Kevin and Rolf were torn away from the house by the hands and taken into the sky.

"Remember the son of a shepherd as he was, Nazz-girl!" Rolf called out as he and Kevin disappeared into the sky. Nazz burst out into a fit of crying, although no tears came from her eyes. The hands had taken Kevin and Rolf from her, and now she was alone. And she was still so confused. The hollow feeling she felt within herself was still there, and now she couldn't even make tears fall from her own eyes. She wanted to cry in remembrance of Kevin and Rolf, but just couldn't. It was as if she had no tear ducts at all. After a few more moments of sitting there on the floor, Nazz finally climbed to her feet. She knew she had to go hide from the hands. She had to at least honor Kevin and Rolf's last wish and make sure that the hands didn't get her too. Nazz quickly turned tail and ran through the door to Kevin's room and into his hallway. She ran downstairs and into Kevin's kitchen, which was at the back of his house. She hoped she would be safe here, although with how easily the hands tore open the houses, she wasn't completely sure.

Nazz opened up one of the cabinets under Kevin's sink and crawled inside, shutting it carefully behind her. She then curled up in the darkness of the cabinet, praying with all her heart that the hands wouldn't find her. She squeezed her eyes shut, letting the darkness fill them. She just wanted this day to end. She hoped this was just all a nightmare and that she would wake up in her soft, warm bed, her friends still safe and sound and ready to greet her outside. Her eyes suddenly flicked open at the sound of shouting from outside. She opened up the cabinet and crawled out a little, hoping to get a better listen at who it was. She suddenly realized who it was: it was the Kanker sisters. Their voices sounded weird and a little loud, but she could hear them clearly from outside. Nazz couldn't believe she was actually relieved to hear the Kankers, of all people, but she knew she had to get out there and warn them before it was too late and the hands snatched them up as well. Nazz got to her feet and began to run toward Kevin's front door.

* * *

"Alright you three, come on out and give us our money!" Lee shouted. She and her sisters stood in the center of the cul-de-sac, and they hoped that Nazz, Kevin, and Rolf would just come out and give up the money that they owed so that they wouldn't have to go searching for them. After a few minutes of waiting, the Kankers found that no one answered Lee's request. "Why do they always want to do it the hard way?" Lee asked herself before sighing.

"They're probably in their houses hiding from us, the big babies," Marie commented as she turned toward Lee and May.

"Yeah, and they're probably sucking their thumbs like babies too!" May joked, causing her and Marie to burst out into a fit of laughter

"Babies or not, those three owe us money, and I ain't gonna give up till we get our fifteen bucks," Lee said resolutely as she looked over at Marie and May, who both stopped laughing and returned Lee's gaze. "Now let's stop standing around and go find them. May, you go to that blond chick's house and get the money from her, Marie, you go to that foreign kid's house and get the money from him, and I'll go to Kevin's house and get the money from him," Lee explained as her sisters nodded, insidious smiles on their faces. "And remember to give them a little something for making this harder than it needs to be," she added as she grinned and pounded her fist into the palm of her other hand. With that, May, Marie, and Lee broke away from each other and began to move to their respective targets. May marched up to Nazz's house and kicked the front door in before heading inside, and Marie ran up to Rolf's house and ripped the doorknob off of the front door before pushing it open and stepping inside. Lee walked methodically across Kevin's yard and toward his front door. She reached Kevin's front door and reached for the doorknob.

* * *

Nazz rushed toward the front door of Kevin's house frantically, desperate to at least save the Kankers, even though the thought of doing so left a bad taste in her mouth. She grabbed the door knob, twisted it, and threw Kevin's front door open and ran out onto Kevin's porch. "Quick, run for your-" she began to yell as she stared out into the cul-de-sac, but she felt her throat choke up. There was no sign of the Kankers anywhere. "What in the world..." she muttered as she looked around in shock. She knew she had heard the Kankers outside; their voices were clear and audible, so there was no way she was mistaken. She ran out into the center of the cul-de-sac and looked around, hoping that the Kankers were still around. But there was no sign of them anywhere! Nazz didn't understand it; this made no sense! She knew she heard them! She knew she did!

* * *

Marie kicked open the door to Rolf's room and stepped inside, an evil grin on her face. She had already checked the other rooms in his house, and she knew that this was the only place left that he could be hiding. Marie stepped into the darkness of Rolf's room, and looked around. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she spotted Rolf lying in his bed. "Go figure, the lazy foreign kid is still asleep..." Marie muttered as she marched up to Rolf's bed and stopped beside it. She studied Rolf's sleeping form; he was lying perfectly still, and he had an expression of distress on his face. "Oh well, better wake him up and beat the cash outta him," she whispered to herself before raising her fist into the air. She brought her fist down right into Rolf's stomach, expecting it to wake him up. Marie looked on in shock as she pulled her fist back; Rolf hadn't reacted to her punch at all, and he just flopped back down on the bed, still deep in sleep. "What in the world..." Marie muttered to herself, still in disbelief.

* * *

Lee opened the door to Kevin's room lightly, hoping to get the drop on Kevin while he was changing his clothes. To her dismay, he was still lying in his bed, fast asleep. "Wow, these stupid cul-de-sac kids sure do sleep late," Lee commented to herself before walking over to Kevin's bed and staring down at him. He was shaking slightly, and there was sweat running down his face and body. "Ha, must be having a nightmare or somethin'..." she said before chuckling. She reached her hand out and slapped Kevin across the face, hoping it would be enough to wake him up. Lee was surprised when Kevin did no such thing, and instead just went on sleeping. "Must be tougher than I thought..." she muttered before slapping him across the face again, this time much harder. Once again, he stayed asleep. "Now he's asking for it..." she seethed before slapping him several times across the face in quick succession. Kevin still did not awake from his sleep, and Lee couldn't help but just gawk at the seemingly pain-resistant boy. "Oh well, I'll just go check his wallet," she said in defeat, giving up on trying to wake up the slumbering boy.

* * *

May tried the door to Nazz's room, and found that it swung open easily. "Give up the money!" May shouted as she jumped into Nazz's room, a devious smile on her face. She found herself face to face with an empty room, and she regained her composure, a little perplexed; after all, Nazz wasn't anywhere else in her house, and this was the only room she hadn't checked. She took a closer look around Nazz's room, and then realized it wasn't empty when she spotted Nazz snoozing on her bed. May walked over to Nazz's sleeping form and stared down at it in annoyance. "What a lazy bones! Instead of sleeping, she should be up getting our money!" she complained to herself before grabbing Nazz by her shoulders and shaking her a few times. She didn't wake up. May's face scrunched up in annoyance and she shook her a bit harder this time, her head bouncing around limply. "Wake up!" she shouted before shaking Nazz even harder. She finally let go of her shoulders after a few moments, the sleeping girl seemingly impossible to awake. May stared down in confusion at the blonde girl, wondering what she could possibly be dreaming about that would keep her in such a deep slumber...

* * *

Nazz fell to her knees, the cul-de-sac spinning around her. She just wanted this all to end. She wanted this nightmare to be over. She squeezed her eyes shut, the need to cry her eyes out once again surfacing, but no tears answered her call. Her eyes flicked open and she let out a furious scream, all of her fear, anger, horror, and sorrow finally being too much for her to contain. She gripped the pavement with her hands and she stared down at the black of the street, lost and no longer sure of what to do. "Just make this all end..." she moaned as she begin to sob quietly. She suddenly felt her entire body stiffen when she saw a large shadow beginning to form over top of her. Her lips began to quiver and her body began to tremble with fear as she slowly turned her gaze skyward. Before Nazz could even scream, a massive hand wrapped around her body and the next thing she knew, the dark grey sky was rushing to meet her.

_Brought to her wit's end by that which she cannot explain, Nazz's mature and thoughtful mind has been twisted beyond repair. For m__aturity and thoughtfulness can only get one so far in the real world, and, unfortunately for Nazz, they won't get one very far at all in the Twilight Zone._

Nazz suddenly felt the hand stop pulling her upwards, although she refused to open her eyes. After a few more moments of sitting there, however, she could not resist the temptation to look any longer. She opened up her eyes. The first thing she saw was a massive bed that towered over her. She then saw a humungous yellow chest with pink flowers all over it. She then spotted several giant stuffed toys that lined giant pink walls that stood on all sides of her. Nazz then turned herself around, and what she saw next caused her to scream in horror. A giant little girl sat in front of her, and Nazz could see that the hand belonged to her. "See, I told you that you'd end up playing with us today, Nazz," Sarah said, her voice unbearably loud, as she stared down at Nazz, who she held over a bunch of doll houses arranged just like the cul-de-sac. A lamp sat beside the miniature cul-de-sac, it's light bulb angled to shine down upon it. Sarah grinned evilly, and her grip on Nazz tightened.

"Isn't playing with dolls so much fun, Nazz?" Jimmy asked in a booming voice, causing Nazz to whirl around in Sarah's hand and face him. Jimmy towered over her, and he too had a despicable smile on his face. "I think we've had enough fun with Nazz today, Sarah. You better go put her with the others," he suggested as he pointed over at the giant yellow chest that sat in the corner of the room. Sarah stood up, Nazz still in her hand, and walked over to the chest, Jimmy quickly following her. She opened it up, and Nazz stared down into the chest. She could see that it was completely empty, save for six dolls that all stared up at her.

"Let us out!" a tiny doll that looked like Jonny shouted.

"Please release Rolf from this prison!" another doll that resembled Rolf yelled as he jumped up and down.

"You're a real dork, Sarah!" a doll that looked like Kevin yelled in anger.

"You're going to pay for this, you little brat!" a doll that looked like Eddy cried as he helped another doll that looked like Edd to his feet.

"Mom is going to be so mad when she finds out, Sarah!" an Ed doll shouted out.

"In you go!" Sarah said before tossing Nazz down into the toy chest, where she landed in the crowd of dolls with a thud. Kevin quickly ran over and helped Nazz to her feet, and then they both joined the others in looking up at Sarah and Jimmy, who both smiled devilishly down at the group of dolls. "It's been fun playing with you all, but me and Jimmy are probably going to take a long break from playing with dolls. After all, playing with dolls is for _little __kids_," Sarah quipped before breaking out into spiteful laughter, Jimmy doing the same. Sarah then slammed the chest shut, and darkness devoured everything that Nazz could see.


	5. Rolf: With Tooth and Claw

**Author's Note: **_I'm glad everyone so thoroughly enjoyed the fourth chapter of The Twilight Ed. To answer Jacksin's question, only "The Other Me" was actually based off of an episode of The Twilight Zone. Every entry from then on out has been and will be either from my own head or inspired from a source other than The Twilight Zone. Now that that's out of the way, it's time for yet another foray into the strange and unknown, this time with everyone's favorite foreigner Rolf...__  
_

* * *

_You unlock this door with the key of imagination, beyond it is another dimension..._

_... a dimension of sound..._

_... a dimension of sight..._

_... a dimension of mind._

_You are moving into a land of both shadow and substance..._

_... of things and ideas._

_You've just crossed over into..._

_The Twilight Zone._

* * *

"Welcome to yet another meeting of the Urban Rangers, Ranger Jonny, Ranger Jimmy, and Ranger Plank!" Rolf announced from atop a barrel that he stood on. Jimmy and Jonny both performed the Urban Ranger salute, forming an L on their foreheads with their hands. All of them were dressed up in traditional Urban Ranger uniforms, which consisted of a blue rag that covered their heads, red neckerchiefs around their necks, a blue vest covered in whatever badges they had earned, a yellow undershirt, and blue slacks.

_Rolf, age thirteen, is a hardworking young man who breaks his back everyday performing brutal yard work, numerous chores, and running the Urban Rangers. Despite this crushing workload, Rolf enjoys his life and cherishes his house, family, animals, and, above all else, the traditions of his old country. Rolf honors and upholds these traditions everyday, but sometimes honoring these traditions comes with a price._

"Now then, Urban Rangers, you may be wondering what tasks we shall be performing today, especially in this sweltering heat!" Rolf began as he jumped down off of the barrel and landed on the hard dirt of his backyard. Jimmy and Jonny stood at attention, ready for Rolf to explain what their mission today was. Rolf marched up to them and then leaned in toward Jonny, a hard look on his face. Jonny did not falter, however, and maintained his poise and salute. "At ease, Jonny the wood boy! You too, Ranger Jimmy!" Rolf said, causing both Jimmy and Jonny to sigh with relief and lower their arms.

"What about Plank, Rolf? Can he be at ease too?" Jonny asked as he looked down at Plank in concern, who he held in his arm. Rolf chuckled lightly and smiled.

"Of course, Ranger Plank may be at ease as well," Rolf answered before turning away and marching across his yard. "Enough with the formalities, it is time to explain the task at hand!" he announced before turning toward Jimmy and Jonny and leaning on the barrel that he stood on before. "Today, we shall be grooming the animals on Rolf's farm, making sure that they are in top condition so that their work may go on without a hitch!" he explained, Jimmy and Jonny nodding in response. "And if this task is completed on time and with great results, then we shall all be earning our Expert Animal Grooming Badges!" he proclaimed, causing Jimmy and Jonny to grin with delight.

"Oh boy, I love the design on that badge!" Jimmy exclaimed, giddy at the news of another badge up for grabs.

"Oh yeah, isn't that the one with the goat and the pig giving each other a high five?" Jonny asked, a huge grin on his face.

"That's right, Ranger Jonny! But it is not the badge that counts in the end, but the deed that was performed to earn the badge!" Rolf answered as he ripped off the top of the barrel that he had been leaning on. "Now, Rangers, come to Rolf so that he may present you with the tools that you will use to clean the filthy animals!" he commanded, causing Jimmy and Jonny to march forward and stop in front of the open barrel. Rolf stuck his arm in the barrel and fished around a little, his hand grabbing many different tools and tossing them around as he tried to find the appropriate tools for the job. "Aha!" he exclaimed before pulling out a huge wooden brush with yellow bristles. "With this brush, Ranger Jimmy, you shall scrub Beatrice clean of the filth that riddles her body!" he explained before shoving the brush toward Jimmy, who took it quickly.

"Uh... who's Beatrice again, Rolf?" Jimmy asked, knowing that it was probably one of his animals but forgetting which one it was.

"Beatrice is-" Rolf began, but was cut off by Jonny.

"Beatrice is Rolf's cow, Jimmy!" Jonny responded as he looked over Jimmy, who nodded in response.

"Your memory serves you well, Ranger Jonny, and for this you have earned the Animal Name Badge!" Rolf declared before reaching into his pocket and fishing out a badge that displayed a drawing of a dog with the name "Bob" underneath of it.

"Oh boy, I got another one, Plank!" Jonny hollered in delight as he eagerly took the badge from Rolf and placed it on his vest, Jimmy looking on in envy.

"And as for what you will be doing today, Ranger Jonny..." Rolf began as he stuck his hand back into the barrel and rummaged around for another tool. "You shall be removing ticks from Wilfred's underbelly using this pair of tweezers," he said as he held up a giant pair of silver tweezers.

"Me and Plank will have those nasty bugs off of Wilfred in no time, Rolf!" Jonny responded as he took the silver tweezers from Rolf.

"Wilfred is your pig, right, Rolf?" Jimmy asked before smiling eagerly, hoping to earn himself the badge that Jonny had just acquired.

"Oh ho, Rolf can see that Ranger Jimmy desires the Animal Name Badge as well!" Rolf answered before patting Jimmy playfully on the head. "Well, Rolf cannot deny that you have earned it, so Rolf presents you with the Animal Name Badge!" he added before retrieving another one of the badges from his pocket and handing it to Jimmy.

"Yes, it's a dream come true!" Jimmy exclaimed as he took the badge and placed it on his vest. After applying the badge, he looked at Rolf's vest, curious to see if he had it. "Hey Rolf, how come you don't have the Animal Name Badge?" he asked in curiosity.

"You see, Ranger Jimmy, Rolf does not have the Animal Name Badge because Rolf has the far superior Naming an Animal Badge!" Rolf bragged before pointing to a badge on his vest that had an illustration of a stick figure man standing next to a sheep with the word "Name" written at the bottom. Jimmy and Jonny both stared at the badge in jealousy and awe.

"Oh wow, Rolf, you're one lucky guy to have gotten that badge!" Jonny complemented as he held up Plank so that he could see the badge as well.

"As Rolf's comrade Kevin always says, Ranger Jonny, you call it luck but Rolf calls it skill!" Rolf answered before sticking his hand back into the barrel. "But enough with the badge giving and receiving, it is time that we set out to groom Rolf's animals before they wallow in filth and disrepair even longer," he said as he retrieved another tool from the barrel, which was an over-sized file. "Rolf will be sharpening Victor's horns with this file, as they have grown dull and worn from Victor's constant ramming of Rolf's shed," he explained as he held the file up.

"Why do you think Victor was ramming your shed, Rolf?" Jimmy asked as he played with the bristles on the brush that he held in his hands.

"Rolf does not know, Ranger Jimmy, perhaps Rolf will ask Victor and tell you later on, yes?" Rolf joked before laughing heartily, Jimmy and Jonny joining in. "Now, Urban Rangers!" he began as his laughter subsided, causing Jimmy and Jonny to stop laughing as well. "Let us commence with the grooming of Rolf's animals!" he proclaimed as Jimmy and Jonny gave him the Urban Ranger salute and then marched off toward their respective animals. Rolf looked on as Jimmy headed over to Rolf's shed, which Beatrice stood in front of; Beatrice stared blankly into space as she chewed on some grass, barely noticing that Jimmy was heading toward her. Jimmy retrieved a bucket of water and a stool that were nearby, and set up next to Beatrice. He then began to scrub Beatrice's side vigorously, wiping away the dirt and grime that covered parts of her body. Rolf then turned his attention to Jonny, who had managed to pin Wilfred down by Rolf's vegetable patch and was trying his best to remove dozens of ticks that were anchored onto Wilfred's belly.

Rolf, satisfied by Jimmy and Jonny's diligence in completing their tasks, turned his attention away from the two boys and headed over to the corner of his yard, where Victor was trying his best to rip some weeds from the ground by the fence with his teeth. "Rolf is pleased that you would be so kind to destroy the weeds that infest Rolf's land, Victor," Rolf remarked as he walked up to Victor and stopped next to the goat. Victor looked up at him, a bundle of weeds sticking out of his mouth. "But now Rolf must request that you stay still while Rolf returns your horns to their former glory," he explained as he got down on his knees next to Victor and grabbed onto one of his horns. Victor didn't put up a fight, and he let Rolf bring the file to his blunt horn. He began to move the file back and forth across the tip of Victor's horn, making sure that he didn't go too fast so that he didn't spook Victor.

"Hold still, Wilfred, there's just a few more of these ticks left and then I can let you go!" Jonny exclaimed as he tried his best to keep Wilfred on the ground belly up. Wilfred was squealing and rolling around from side to side, making it more and more difficult for Jonny to keep him completely still. "Come on, Plank, how about some help here?" he asked as he looked over at Plank, who was leaning up against the fence and watching him in amusement. "Oh fine, I guess I'll just do it myself!" he complained before turning his attention back to Wilfred, who had redoubled his efforts to escape his grasp. "Just don't come crying to me when you don't get your Expert Animal Grooming Badge!" Jonny added as he placed the prongs of the tweezers on either side of a tick and clamped them down on the tiny insect's body. He yanked hard and the tick came off of Wilfred with ease. "See, now was that so bad?" he asked as Wilfred stopped struggling for a moment. "Now let me just get the rest of these and-" he began to say in a soothing voice. Unfortunately for him, Wilfred, sensing that Jonny's guard was down, suddenly flipped over and ran away from him, the grime on Wilfred's body allowing him to easily slip out of his grip. "Hey, come back here, I'm not done yet!" Jonny called after Wilfred, who completely ignored him and instead ran straight for Rolf's vegetable patch.

"Ah yes, your horns are slowly reaching the pinnacle of perfection, Victor! Just a few more moments and Rolf will have them at the sharpest they have ever been," Rolf assured Victor as he continued his work. He suddenly whirled around at the sound of a commotion from behind him; a shocked expression appeared on his face when he saw Jonny chasing Wilfred across his yard, Wilfred heading straight for his vegetable patch. "Wilfred once again tries Rolf's patience..." he muttered before turning back to Victor and standing up. He pocketed the file and then patted Victor on the head. "Fret not, Victor, Rolf will return as soon as Rolf assists Jonny in catching the misbehaving pig," he explained before turning away from Victor and running toward Jonny and Wilfred.

"Stop, Wilfred, I don't think Rolf will be happy if you mess with his garden!" Jonny warned as he dashed toward Wilfred, who had clamped his jaws around the top of a turnip and was trying to pull it out of the ground. Jimmy, who was still scrubbing Beatrice, couldn't help but pause for a moment to watch the situation unfold. Jonny reached Wilfred and then grabbed hold of his sides before trying to pull him away from the garden. "Come on, Wilfred, stop it!" he pleaded as he tried his best to yank the pig away from the vegetable patch, although Wilfred was surprisingly strong and wouldn't move an inch, still determined to claim his prize.

"Step aside, Ranger Jonny, Rolf will bring the insubordinate swine under control!" Rolf declared as he ran up to Jonny and Wilfred. Jonny released Wilfred from his grip, letting Rolf get next to Wilfred instead. He grabbed Wilfred and, gathering all the strength he could muster, pulled the ill-behaved pig away from the vegetable patch, although Wilfred had managed to pull the turnip out just as he did so. Rolf carried Wilfred away from the vegetable patch and sat him down on the ground, the turnip hanging loosely from Wilfred's mouth. Jonny ran up beside Rolf, and the two of them stared down at Wilfred, who stared back up at them blankly. "Rolf will be taking that!" Rolf snapped as he reached down and snatched the turnip from Wilfred's mouth, the pig putting up no resistance. "Rolf is ashamed at your conduct, Wilfred! Rolf has no choice now but to- Yowch!" he exclaimed as he felt something sharp jab him right in the behind. He shot up into the air, dropping the turnip, and face planted into the hard dirt.

"Holy crap, Rolf, are you okay?" Jonny asked as he ran over to Rolf, who was moaning in pain and rubbing his behind. Jimmy quickly abandoned his post by Beatrice and ran over to check on Rolf as well.

"Yes, Jonny the wood boy, Rolf is fine but- Victor!" Rolf shouted in anger as he looked behind Jonny and Jimmy. Victor and Wilfred were both tugging at opposite ends of the turnip, and they managed to rip it in half. They then both eagerly began chewing on their halves of the turnip. Rolf quickly got to his feet and dusted himself off.

"Wait, Rolf, you should probably let me take a look at where Victor jabbed you!" Jimmy recommended, although Rolf didn't seem to be paying him any attention. "I do have my Field Medic Badge, after all!" he added, hoping that Rolf would listen to him.

"No need, Ranger Jimmy, the pain in Rolf's rump is nothing compared to the pain that Rolf will inflict upon the rumps of Victor and Wilfred!" Rolf proclaimed before pushing past Jimmy and Jonny, who still had looks of concern on their faces, and marching toward Victor and Wilfred, who had both just finished eating their halves of the turnip. "Victor, Wilfred!" he yelled in fury as he stopped in front of the two animals and crossed his arms. Victor and Wilfred both stared at his feet, both of the animals obviously knowing what they did was wrong. "Look at Rolf when he speaks to you!" he ordered. Victor and Wilfred both slowly brought their gazes up to his face, which had a hardened look on it. "Both of you know the punishment for stealing from Rolf's vegetable patch, do you not?" Rolf questioned as he slit his eyes at Victor and Wilfred, who both began to quiver with fear.

"I wonder what Rolf is going to do to them..." Jimmy whispered over to Jonny as they both watched Rolf carefully; Jonny shrugged in response.

"Now both of you shall wait right in this spot while Rolf retrieves the Paddle of Punishment!" Rolf commanded before turning toward his shed and walking toward it.

"Wait, Paddle of Punishment?" Jonny exclaimed in alarm as he looked over at Jimmy, who had an equally dismayed look on his face. Jimmy and Jonny ran after Rolf and stopped in front of him, preventing him from completing his journey to his shed. "Hold on, Rolf, are you sure hitting Victor and Wilfred with a paddle is the best way to punish them? I mean, they're just animals, they don't know any better!" he laid out as Rolf listened intently, a skeptical look on his face.

"Rolf knows that you are as much of a lover of animals as Rolf is, Ranger Jonny, but Rolf must follow the traditions of his home country, which dictate that those who pilfer vegetables from the very soil in which they grow must be punished with ten whacks on the behind from the Paddle of Punishment!" Rolf explained as Jonny nodded slowly but sadly, obviously not content with Rolf's answer.

"Alright, if that's how it has to be... but me and Plank are gonna wait inside your house while you do it," Jonny responded before turning away and running to retrieve Plank, who was still chilling by the fence.

"I think I'll go keep Jonny company, Rolf," Jimmy chimed in before backing away. "Just don't hit them too hard, okay?" Jimmy added before running to catch up to Jonny. Rolf watched as Jimmy and Jonny walked into his house through the back, both of them saying something to each other that Rolf could not hear. Rolf was sure they were talking about the punishment that he was about to dole out to Victor and Wilfred, but he knew he had to ignore whatever harsh words they may be saying about him and his traditions. After all, he knew that they would never understand why he had to do such things, so he had no choice but to soldier on and block out their words of misunderstanding. He turned back around and resumed his journey to his shed. As he reached the entrance, he patted Beatrice on her side.

"At least Rolf can count on you to behave, Beatrice," Rolf commented in a low tone before heading into his shed to retrieve the paddle. He stepped into the darkness of his shed and took a quick look around, hoping to spot and grab the paddle as soon as possible so that he could get Victor and Wilfred's punishment over with swiftly. He didn't spot it on his first glance around the shed, so he knew that he'd have to dig around to locate the paddle, which he hadn't really used in quite a while. He stepped further into his shed and headed toward a pile of shovels, rakes, hoes, and other assorted farm implements, thinking that maybe the paddle was buried underneath of them. He got down on one knee and moved some of the tools aside, a few of them clattering on the floorboards as he did so. "There you are..." Rolf whispered to himself as he reached into the pile and pulled out the Paddle of Punishment; it was a huge wooden paddle with the design of a crying little baby etched into it. He stood up and sighed before turning around and heading toward the door to his shed.

Victor and Wilfred stood shaking the middle of Rolf's yard, both of them dreading what was coming. They both watched as Rolf stepped out of the shed, the paddle in hand, and shut the shed door behind him. He then shifted his gaze over to the two quivering animals. He began to walk toward Victor and Wilfred, casually patting the paddle on his other hand as he did so. He stopped a few feet in front of Victor and Wilfred, a condescending expression on his face. "If you cooperate, Rolf promises you that this will be over in no time at all," Rolf assured them as his grip tightened on the paddle. "Wilfred, since you are the one who started this nonsense, you must suffer the blows of the paddle first," he stated as he stared down at Wilfred. Wilfred squealed in fear and backed away a little, understanding what Rolf meant. "Now now, Wilfred, take your blows in stride; at least be happy that you do not have to suffer the Hat of Discipline instead," he said as he stepped closer to Wilfred. "Turn around, Wilfred," he commanded as he made a twirling motion with his finger. Wilfred, although scared and shaking, turned himself around and held his rump up toward the tall boy. Rolf sighed deeply and then held the paddle up, ready to bring it down on Wilfred. "Rolf is sorry..." he bemoaned before bringing down the paddle hard toward Wilfred's behind.

* * *

"Thank goodness, I think it's finally over..." Jimmy said to Jonny, the sounds of Wilfred and Victor's cries of pain finally subsiding. The two of them stood in Rolf's living room, not really knowing what to do to pass the time until Rolf was done punishing Victor and Wilfred.

"Yeah, but did you hear the noises Victor and Wilfred were making?" Jonny asked as he hugged Plank tightly. "It's the worst thing I've ever heard in my life..." he lamented, feeling terribly sorry for Victor and Wilfred's plight.

"I know, Jonny, but we can't really do anything about it. I mean, they are Rolf's animals, and I don't want to end up on the receiving end of a punishment myself for breaking one of his traditions," Jimmy admitted as Jonny nodded, calming down a little.

"I guess you have a point..." Jonny answered, although the entire ordeal still did not sit well with him.

"The punishment of the two vegetable thieves is now over, Rangers," Rolf announced as he walked into his living room. Jimmy and Jonny turned to him and saluted, trying their best to forget about their misgivings toward him and his punishment of Victor and Wilfred. "Rolf is sorry that they ruined our chances at the Expert Animal Grooming Badge today, but perhaps you both would like another crack at it tomorrow, yes?" he questioned as Jimmy and Jonny lowered their salutes and pondered the offer for a moment.

"Sure, Rolf, I guess we'll try again tomorrow," Jimmy answered before grinning.

"Me and Plank will be there too," Jonny added in, trying his best to appear upbeat about it.

"Rolf is pleased that you are both still enthusiastic about earning the badge!" Rolf responded as he stepped forward and stopped right in front of them. "And for your patience in this matter, Rolf must award you with the Patient Person Badge!" he declared as he pulled out three badges and held them up; all three of the badges had drawings of a clock on them.

"Two badges in one day, I love it!" Jimmy said in excitement as he accepted the badge from Rolf and went about placing it on his vest.

"Thanks, Rolf," Jonny said as he obtained two badges from Rolf. He placed one on his vest and then placed the other on Plank's vest.

"And with this final presenting of badges, this Urban Rangers meeting has come to its end," Rolf revealed as he laid one hand on Jimmy's shoulder and the other on Jonny's. "You both have performed well today, and Rolf hopes that you can repeat this performance tomorrow, hopefully without any problems from Rolf's animals," he said before taking his hands off of their shoulders. "Rolf officially releases Rangers Jimmy, Jonny, and Plank from duty for the rest of the day," he announced as Jimmy and Jonny saluted him once more.

"See you tomorrow, Rolf!" Jimmy exclaimed happily as he removed his hand from his head and walked toward Rolf's door.

"Have a good one, Rolf," Jonny said before following Jimmy out through Rolf's front door. Rolf walked over and closed the door behind them and then sighed contently. Even though the day had turned a bit sour, Rolf was glad to see that it hadn't dampened the spirits of Jimmy and Jonny, and that they were both ready to make another attempt tomorrow.

* * *

Rolf entered his backyard clad in his Urban Ranger uniform, a folded up blue cloth in his hand. After a bit of morning preparation, he was finally ready to summon the other Urban Rangers so that they could finally complete their tasks and earn their new badges. He ignored the blazing hot sun as he marched over to Beatrice, who was grazing by his fence. "Rolf requires your assistance once again in summoning the Urban Rangers, Beatrice," Rolf informed her as he unfolded the blue cloth, which turned out to be a large Urban Rangers banner with their official logo stitched into it, which was a a circle with a yellow hand performing the Urban Ranger salute. He draped it over Beatrice's back, although she didn't seem to mind at all and instead went about her grazing in peace. After the banner was adjusted to his liking, he stepped behind Beatrice and grabbed hold of her tail. "Ready, Beatrice?" Rolf asked as he peered around Beatrice's great behind. Beatrice stopped grazing and lifted her head up, signalling to Rolf that she was indeed ready to call the Urban Rangers.

Rolf began to turn Beatrice's tail in a clockwise motion, and she began to moo loudly. He looked around as he continued to turn her tail, ready for Jimmy and Jonny to appear at any moment. After a minute or two, Rolf saw his two fellow Urban Rangers hop his fence and enter his yard, both of their faces looking eager and ready to go. "Right on time as usual, Urban Rangers!" he complimented as he released Beatrice's tail and allowed her to go back to her grazing. Jimmy and Jonny stopped a few feet in front of Rolf and saluted him.

"On time is my middle name, Rolf!" Jimmy answered with a smile on his face.

"At ease, Urban Rangers," Rolf said, allowing Jimmy and Jonny to drop their hands at their sides. "Now that we are all here, we may finally try our hands once again at earning the Expert Animal Grooming Badges!" he proclaimed before walking toward the barrel full of tools, which was beside his shed. Rolf gripped the barrel on each side and carefully lifted it up off of the ground. He then turned around and hauled the heavy barrel back over to Jimmy and Jonny. As soon as he reached them, he sat the barrel down on the ground in front of them with a thud. "Fortunately for us, Victor and Wilfred will behave much better this day now that they have been disciplined, so Rolf is sure that we will be able to-"

"Well if it isn't the Urban Losers!" an annoying and all too familiar voice called from Rolf's fence, causing Rolf, Jimmy, and Jonny to all turn around. They spotted Eddy leaning on Rolf's fence, and Edd standing right beside him, although Edd certainly didn't look too thrilled about what Eddy had said. "What kind of stupid crap are you guys doing today, huh? Oh, let me guess, you're going to give Rolf a bath and get the Washing a Hairy Has-been Badge!" Eddy mocked before bursting into laughter, Edd covering his face in shame.

"Eddy, why do you insist in further cementing everyone's hatred of us day in and day out?" Edd asked as he watched Rolf's face scrunch up in annoyance.

"Ah, Rolf sees that once again the short and sour Ed-boy has come to mock Rolf and his Urban Rangers. But Rolf asks you, why don't come into Rolf's yard and say that to his face?" Rolf questioned as he frowned at Eddy, who wiped tears of joy from his eyes.

"What's the matter, Rolfy boy, you ain't angry are ya?" Eddy asked, although he was still grinning spitefully. "Oh no, are you gonna hit me with your little paddle like you hit Wilfred and Victor?" he asked as he feigned fear. Rolf's eyes widened at Eddy's comment; how did he know about the incident with his animals? "You know, that reminds me, Rolf, I've been meaning to ask you something," Eddy stated as a grin crept back across his face. Edd was shaking his head in disappointment from behind him, still embarrassed by his conduct and wishing he would just stop. "When are you gonna get your Animal Abuse Badge?" Eddy asked before once again laughing like a maniac, pounding his fist on Rolf's fence as he did so.

"Laugh it up, Ed-boy, but perhaps Rolf really will go retrieve the Paddle of Punishment and use it on you!" Rolf yelled, his anger getting the better of him, although Eddy paid him no mind and kept laughing.

"Eddy, please stop, you're obviously just here to start a fight, and I adamantly oppose starting any kind of conflict over something as silly as Rolf's traditions!" Edd lectured, causing Eddy to turn around and flash him an annoyed look.

"Oh come on, Double D, I'm just having a little fun!" Eddy shot back in irritation. "Besides, Rolf's a good sport, I'm sure he'll just suck it up and-" he managed to get out before something struck him in the head, knocking him off of the fence. He fell to the ground holding his head in pain, and a small gardening shovel fell on the ground next to him.

"Rolf's aim is very good, wouldn't you agree, Urban Rangers?" Rolf asked in jest as he looked over at Jimmy and Jonny, who giggled at Eddy's pain. Eddy stood up and groaned in annoyance as he rubbed his head, which had a small lump on it.

"Why that no good, dirty..." Eddy muttered under his breath as his other hand balled up into a fist. Edd rushed forward and grabbed his arm, causing him to turn and face Edd.

"I think that's quite enough, Eddy! Let's just get out of here before you dig an even bigger hole for yourself!" Edd recommended in a high panicky voice, knowing that if Eddy continued it would likely be bad for the both of them. Eddy sighed in defeat.

"Fine, I bet the Urban Losers have to go congratulate each other on being morons anyway," Eddy remarked as he followed Edd away from Rolf's fence, although it was clear that he was still angry about Rolf hitting him with the gardening shovel. After Edd and Eddy were out of sight, Rolf turned to face Jimmy and Jonny, and, much to their surprise, he had a sour look on his face.

"What's wrong, Rolf? I thought you would be happy that you managed to get rid of Eddy," Jimmy commented.

"Believe Rolf when Rolf says that he is overjoyed that the head-like-a-footstool Ed-boy torments us no longer, but Rolf is confused as to how the Ed-boys even knew of Rolf and the punishment that he delivered upon Victor and Wilfred," Rolf explained as he gave Jimmy and Jonny a knowing and angry stare.

"Don't look at me, Rolf, it was Jonny who went around telling everyone about it!" Jimmy tattled as he pointed over at Jonny.

"Sarah's really rubbing off on you, Jimmy," Jonny commented before sighing. "Besides, it wasn't me, Plank was the one who just couldn't keep his mouth shut!" he explained as he held up Plank. Rolf groaned and slid his hand down his face in exasperation.

"Well, there is not much Rolf can do about it now, so we might as well carry on with the meeting of the Urban Rangers and complete the task of getting Rolf's animals up to Rolf's standards," Rolf explained before turning around to face the barrel filled with tools. He reached into the barrel and searched with his hand for the tools that they needed. He was far angrier about Jonny telling everyone of what he had done to Victor and Wilfred than he was letting on, but he figured that he should just let bygones be bygones and move on. He pulled out the pair of tweezers and the file and then turned to face Jimmy and Jonny. "Rolf will allow Ranger Jonny to once again take care of the insects on Wilfred's stomach, but Rolf feels that Ranger Jimmy should handle the sharpening of Victor's horns today," he explained as he handed Jonny the tweezers and Jimmy the file.

"I guess you want to give Victor and Wilfred some space, right Rolf?" Jimmy asked.

"Yes, Rolf feels it is best if he allows Victor and Wilfred some time to think about what they have done before going near them once more," Rolf answered as he reached back into the barrel and retrieved the wooden brush. "Rolf will handle the cleaning of Beatrice this time," he added as he picked up the lid to the barrel and put it back onto the barrel. "Now let us resume our quest to receive the Expert Animal Grooming Badge!" he proclaimed as Jimmy and Jonny quickly ran to their respective animals.

"Alright, Wilfred, let's try this one more time," Jonny said as he walked over to Wilfred, who was standing idly by Rolf's chicken coop. He sat Plank on top of the chicken coop and then turned to face Wilfred, who was just staring off in the distance at something. Jonny knelt down beside Wilfred and grabbed hold of him before flipping him slowly onto his back. Much to his surprise, Wilfred didn't put up a fight at all. "Huh, I guess Rolf's punishment really did work..." Jonny whispered to himself as he brought the tweezers toward a tick. "I just wish he didn't have to be so rough..." he whispered, his voice filled with just a bit of anger.

"Don't worry about a thing, Victor, I'm an expert with files," Jimmy assured Victor as he stood next to the goat, which didn't seem to pay him any mind and instead stared at something past Jimmy. After gathering his courage, Jimmy brought the file up to Victor's left horn and began to grind at it, and he was pleasantly surprised to find that Victor didn't act up at all. Rolf walked a short distance over to Beatrice, who had returned to ripping small strands of grass out of the ground and chewing on them. Rolf dropped the scrub brush onto the ground beside Beatrice and then turned to face her.

"Allow Rolf to remove the banner of the Urban Rangers from you so that the grooming can commence," Rolf said before grabbing the banner and sliding it carefully off of Beatrice's body. He folded up the banner with great care and then turned toward his house and began to walk toward it, hoping to place the banner in his room and then return to wash Beatrice. He stepped into his house through a sliding glass door and then turned around and shut it carefully behind him. He then turned back around and began to walk across his kitchen. "Whoa!" Rolf exclaimed as his forward foot suddenly slid on something wet. He fell backward, throwing the banner up into the air, and landed with a thud on his tiled kitchen floor. The banner floated through the air and then landed gracefully a few feet in front of him in a puddle of water. "Rolf's aching- What in the name of Rolf's ancestors?" he exclaimed in surprise as he looked around his kitchen floor. A huge puddle of water had formed in the middle of his floor because someone had left on his kitchen sink; even worse, several knives and forks were strewn across his floor, and Rolf had been extremely lucky that he hadn't landed on any of them.

Rolf stood up slowly, being extra careful not to slip on the water again and fall down on top of any knives or forks. He began to walk toward the kitchen sink, which was overflowing as water shot down out of the spigot. He stepped around knives and forks as they moved from side to side due to the water pushing them around. He reached toward the kitchen sink, grabbed hold of the handles, and then turned the water off. He then slowly moved around the edge of the room, trying his best to avoid stepping in the water anymore, and reached out into the puddle and grabbed the Urban Ranger banner, which was soaking wet now. "Son of a gun..." Rolf muttered as he held it up to get a better look at it. _Perhaps Rolf's Nano forgot to turn the water off again_ he thought to himself as he lowered the banner and looked around the room; although the thought was comforting, he couldn't help but think that this was done purposely. After all, why would there be knives and forks scattered all over the floor if his Nano had just left the water on? Rolf quickly took the banner to his room and returned to his kitchen with several towels. Rolf then went about cleaning up his kitchen, absorbing the water with each towel and picking up knives and forks and putting them in a pile as he went along.

"There you go, Wilfred, your belly is free of those bloodsuckers!" Jonny exclaimed as he released Wilfred, who slowly got back to his feet and then just stood there staring off at Rolf's house. Jonny walked over to the chicken coop and grabbed Plank. "Aw, don't worry buddy, I'll put in a good word for you with Rolf so that you can get the badge too," he claimed as he looked around the farm, although he didn't see Rolf anywhere.

"Your horns are beautiful now, Victor," Jimmy commented as he touched the tip of Victor's right horn lightly; it was extremely sharp. "That's the kind of quality you get when you have an expert in the field of beauty on your side!" he bragged before smiling at his work.

"Hey, Jimmy, didya see where Rolf went?" Jonny asked as he walked over to Jimmy, who turned to face him.

"Uh... well..." Jimmy stuttered as he looked around the yard to see that there indeed was no sign of Rolf. "No, I didn't... I was too busy sharpening Victor's horns to notice that Rolf even left," he explained as Jonny nodded. "Oh wait, there he is now!" he said as he pointed behind Jonny. Jonny turned around to see Rolf coming out of his house, a peeved look on the tall boy's face.

"Oh boy, he doesn't look very happy..." Jonny muttered as Rolf walked toward Beatrice. Rolf stopped by Beatrice and sighed before bending over and grabbing the brush that laid on the ground beside her.

"Now that Rolf has put away the banner, Rolf will now scrub your impurities away," Rolf claimed as he looked around for the bucket full of water. He didn't see it anywhere, and couldn't help but mentally slap himself when he remembered that he had put it in his shed. "Rolf supposes it will be just a moment longer... Rolf must grab his bucket," he said quickly as he dropped the brush on the ground and ran toward his shed to retrieve his bucket. Before he could go any further, Jonny moved in front of him, stopping him a few feet from his shed.

"Hey, Rolf, are you okay?" Jonny asked.

"Yes, Rolf is just fine," Rolf answered before smiling at Jonny.

"Oh that's good," Jonny answered in relief. "But Plank just wanted to let you know that we're all done with getting those ticks off of Wilfred, and that Jimmy is done sharpening Victor's horns," he explained.

"Excellent work then!" Rolf complemented. "Now Rolf just has to grab his bucket and clean Beatrice and then Rolf will commence with handing out all of our Expert Animal Grooming Badges," he added as Jonny nodded and let him move toward his shed.

"Do you need any help finding your bucket?" Jonny asked as he watched Rolf walk up to his shed door.

"No thank you, Ranger Jonny, Rolf is sure he will find it in no time," Rolf answered as he laid his hand on his shed door, which was open just a crack. He thought nothing of it and pushed it open without stepping inside; he leaped back in surprise as his bucket suddenly fell off of the top of the door, hundreds of nails spilling out of it and falling right in the doorway. Rolf stared down at the bucket, which was rolling around on the shed floor, and the huge pile of nails that lay just a foot in front of him, an unreadable emotion on his face.

"Holy cow, Rolf, what just happened?" Jonny inquired, still not clear on what exactly had just occurred. Now Rolf knew for sure that what he saw in the kitchen was no accident; someone was out to get him! Rolf whirled around and stared at Jonny in fury, and Jonny shrunk backwards. "Whoa, why are you looking at me and Plank like that?" he asked, not understanding why Rolf would be angry at him.

"Do not take Rolf for a fool, Jonny the wood boy! Rolf knows that you are trying to hurt Rolf for upholding the traditions of his country!" Rolf yelled as he took a few steps toward Jonny, who continued to back away.

"Me and Plank would never hurt you over something like that!" Jonny countered, fear overtaking every fiber of his being.

"Do not taunt Rolf with your lies! You are attempting to make a mockery of the son of a shepherd, and you must be punished!" Rolf shouted as his fists balled up.

"Wait, don't hurt him!" Jimmy shouted as he ran up and got in between Rolf and Jonny. "Rolf, I think you're overreacting here! Jonny was out here the whole time with me and I didn't see him go over to your shed and booby trap it!" he revealed quickly, hoping to calm Rolf down. Rolf stood there for a few moments, mulling over what Jimmy had said in his head.

"But if he did not sabotage Rolf's kitchen and Rolf's shed, then who..." Rolf said to himself before trailing off into thought. His eyes widened he realized who it must be. He began to grind his teeth together in anger, and Jimmy and Jonny could only look on in fear, not exactly knowing why he was getting even angrier now. Rolf suddenly turned away from Jimmy and Jonny and took a few steps into his yard, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of the perpetrators. "Rolf knows the Ed-boys are around here somewhere, now come out and face the fury of Rolf's home country!" he shouted as he clenched his fists.

"Do you really think that the Eds were the ones who set up that bucket?" Jonny asked, although his voice was low and timid. Rolf turned his head to look at him.

"Use your fortuitous head, Jonny the wood boy! If it was not you who filled with Rolf's bucket with nails and flooded Rolf's kitchen, then it must be the Ed-boys!" Rolf claimed before turning his attention back to his yard. "The scheming Ed-boy is no doubt still bitter over Rolf's superior aim, and has come to exact his revenge upon the son of a shepherd! Well Rolf will have none of it!" he hollered as he began to move around his yard, his eyes still searching for any sign of the Eds. Jimmy and Jonny could only look on in confusion and fear as Rolf ran over to his chicken coop and walked around it once before tearing it open and throwing the chickens out of it. "Gravy-loving Ed-boy, Rolf knows you are hiding in here!" he cried as he stuck his hands in the now empty chicken coop and dug around. His chickens squawked and ran around his yard, Rolf's irrational behavior obviously frightening them.

"What should we do, Jimmy?" Jonny asked as the two of them watched Rolf run around his yard, tearing it apart looking for the Eds. "Rolf is scaring the crap out of Plank... heck, he's scaring the crap out of me too!" he added in fear as Rolf flipped over some barrels that were sitting next to his fence, some produce spilling out of them.

"I don't know..." Jimmy said, his voice shaking a little as he gripped the sides of his retainer with his sweaty hands. "Maybe we should just get out of here before Rolf freaks out even more," he suggested as he looked over at Jonny, hoping that the bald boy would agree.

"But if we try to leave, Rolf might think we're guilty or something..." Jonny answered quickly in a frightened voice as he watched Rolf tear open his shed door and run inside, still hollering about the Eds. Jimmy mulled the whole situation over in his head, although it was tough to think straight when every thought in his head was shouting at him to run for it. A thought suddenly struck Jimmy, and he quickly turned to Jonny and grabbed his shoulders.

"I know! I'll go get Sarah and get her to calm Rolf down, while you stay here and make sure Rolf doesn't do anything too crazy!" Jimmy suggested. Jonny didn't like the sound of him having to stay behind while Jimmy went to go get Sarah, but Jonny figured it was probably their best bet at stopping Rolf from tearing apart his own farm looking for the Eds, who probably had nothing to do with the strange traps that had been laid for Rolf.

"Okay, but please hurry, I don't want Rolf to start freaking out all over me and Plank!" Jonny exclaimed as he peered over his shoulder and at Rolf's shed, which was rattling lightly as Rolf tossed around tools inside. Jimmy nodded and then bolted out of Rolf's yard, leaving Jonny by himself in the middle of the yard. Jonny turned around and stared with great fear at Rolf's shed, hoping that Rolf would spend all of his time within it instead of outside it. "Don't worry, Plank, Jimmy's gonna be back with Sarah in no time, and we'll get Rolf to calm down," he assured Plank as he stared down at the piece of wood. He turned his attention back to the shed when Rolf stepped outside of it. Rolf was obviously started to get a little tired from running around searching for the Eds, but it was also obvious he wasn't done with his quest. He looked over at Jonny, and a slightly confused expression formed on his face. He slowly began to walk toward Jonny, who was literally shivering with terror, fearing that Rolf was about to lay the smack down on him or something.

"Where did frail Jimmy-boy run off to?" Rolf questioned as he stopped in front of Jonny, who was desperately trying to think of an answer that Rolf would find acceptable.

"Well... Jimmy just had to go do something important..." Jonny blurted out, although he mentally slapped himself after saying it, knowing that it was a stupid answer to Rolf's question. Rolf raised one of his eyebrows as he turned Jonny's answer over in his head. A frown suddenly formed on his face, and he huffed angrily.

"You do not fool Rolf," Rolf began as he stepped toward Jonny menacingly, causing Jonny to back away. "Rolf would bet his clam Bobo that Jimmy-boy is in league with the Ed-boys!" he declared.

"Wait, Rolf, that's not how it is!" Jonny began, wanting to defend Jimmy from Rolf's accusation. "Jimmy just went to-"

"Stop doing whatever you're doing, Rolf!" a voice called from Rolf's backdoor, causing Rolf and Jonny to whirl around. Sarah stood with her arms crossed in the doorway, Jimmy peaking out of the house from behind her. Rolf stared over at her for a moment, her sudden appearance obviously a bit surprising; Sarah stared back at him, an aggravated expression on her face. "I don't know what the heck you're doing that scared Jimmy so bad, but you've gotta stop," she yelled as she uncrossed her arms and stepped into Rolf's yard and began walking toward him.

"You do not understand, Sarah-girl, your nincompoop brother and the other two Ed-boys have sabotaged Rolf's farm!" Rolf responded, anger evident in his voice.

"For your information, my brother and his stupid friends started building some stupid scam in my backyard," Sarah informed Rolf in the most know-it-all tone she could muster. Rolf's mouth fell open a little, the information startling him. It was impossible: the Eds had to have been the ones who sabotaged his farm. After all, if neither Jonny nor the Eds had anything to do with the destruction of his kitchen and the trapping of his shed door, then that left no one else who could've done it. No one else had a motive to hurt him.

"Then... Rolf... well..." Rolf stuttered, not knowing how to really respond to the information.

"All we want you to do is calm down, Rolf," Jimmy chimed in as he walked from his hiding spot from behind Sarah and stood next to her. Rolf looked from Sarah to Jimmy, and then over at Jonny, who gave him a small reassuring smile. He returned his gaze to Sarah and Jimmy and sighed.

"Perhaps you are right... Rolf has let his anger get the better of reason, and Rolf apologizes to all for Rolf's outburst," Rolf said calmly, letting all of his anger flow out from his body and into the air around him. Sarah's face relaxed a little, as did Jimmy's.

"Alright, can I go now?" Sarah asked as she turned to Jimmy. "I want to get back to that coloring book," she added, still a little peeved that Jimmy had dragged her away just to deal with Rolf's crazy self.

"Yeah, you can go... I'll come over later and help finish it after we're done," Jimmy answered. Sarah smiled a little and then walked off, leaving Jimmy alone with Rolf and Jonny. Jimmy turned to Rolf and smiled. "Now that that's all settled, how about we all go and clean Beatrice so we can earn the Expert Animal Grooming Badge!" he suggested, hoping to lighten the mood now that Rolf was calm again. Rolf and Jonny smiled widely.

"Rolf agrees, Ranger Jimmy! Let us earn the badge together as one grand Urban Ranger team!" Rolf proclaimed as he led Jonny and Jimmy over to Beatrice, all three of them eager to finally earn their badges.

* * *

Rolf flicked the light on in his kitchen before stepping into it, a black plastic bag in his hand. He was tired and it was very late, but he had just one last chore to finish before hitting the sack: taking out the trash. He began to move across his kitchen and toward his backdoor, hoping to finish the task quickly so that he could finally get some sleep. He was quite happy with the way the day had played out; sure, he might've seemed a little crazy in front Jimmy and Jonny when he freaked out over the Eds, but he was delighted to see that Jimmy and Jonny got over it and that they had all earned their Expert Animal Grooming Badges at long last. He slid open his backdoor and stepped outside into the cool summer night, sliding the glass door shut behind him. He walked over to a trash bin on the side of his house and opened it before tossing the black plastic bag inside. He shut the lid and then turned around and began to walk back toward his backdoor, more than read to get some shuteye.

Rolf stopped when he reached his backdoor, sensing that something was wrong. He slowly turned around to take a glimpse at his yard, hoping to quell his feeling of uneasiness. It was very dark, and he couldn't see very well, but he could make out a sliver of light coming from his shed. "Ah, Rolf must've accidentally left the light on in the shed..." he reasoned quietly to himself as he began to walk across his yard. He yawned loudly and picked up his pace, wanting to turn off the light as fast as he could. As he neared the shed, he stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of voices. Rolf furrowed his brow and he began to sneak slowly toward his shed, his feeling of uneasiness now greater than ever. He stopped next to the door of his shed and listened in, hoping to hear whatever the people inside were saying.

"... and that's why we can't let him get away with what he did," Rolf heard a gruff voice say quietly. He didn't recognize the voice, but continued to listen regardless.

"B-But what if he finds out and punishes us again?" Rolf heard a high and squeaky voice answer. Once again, he didn't recognize who it belonged to.

"Stop your worrying... we got away with the two traps we set, didn't we? Besides, we have no choice but to act now before it's too late," the gruff voice said. "And that's why I've brought all of you here tonight... I know that he only punished us two, but it's only a matter of time before he comes for all of you as well," the voice explained, an angry tone raising from within it.

"You're right, pain is bad for me..." Rolf heard a third voice say; this one was almost as deep as the gruff voice, but it had a womanly tone to it.

"I'm glad I at least have your support..." the gruff voice answered. "But what about you? We need you in on this if we are to be rid of that scourge once and for all," the voice commented. There was a moment of silence afterwards; Rolf figured it must've been the second person thinking before answering.

"I suppose I have no choice... I'm in, but this plan better work," the squeaky voice said.

"Good... very good..." the gruff voice said, getting a bit lower. Rolf suddenly heard the sound of shuffling around, as if there were many people inside getting closer so that they could talk much lower. He leaned in a bit more, making sure that he couldn't be seen while still getting a better listen to what was transpiring inside. "Now I think the best way to get rid of Rolf is quite simple..." the gruff voice began, causing Rolf's eyes to widen. Whoever was plotting inside of his shed wanted him gone, and that did not sit well with the son of a shepherd. "We drag him out of his room while he sleeps and bury him alive out in the woods," the gruff voice explained. Rolf began to breath heavily and he gripped his chest. He couldn't believe this: there were people plotting to murder him in his very own shed! "Who's with me? Who will help me finally rid our farm of this accursed son of a shepherd?" the gruff voice asked, its voice filled with righteous fury.

"We will, we will!" a chorus of voices suddenly sounded out, causing Rolf to jump a little. There was a lot more than just three people in there, and that frightened him even more. "Bury the son of a shepherd! Make him pay for what he has done!" the voices rung out once more. Rolf was shivering, and he could feel cold droplets of sweat running down his face and back. He didn't know what to do. If he left, the murderous people within his shed might find out and go looking for him, but if he stayed they might grab him and do exactly as they planned. As he thought about what he should do, he spotted a shovel leaning up against the shed next to him. He gritted his teeth and his brow lowered, forming a scowl on his face. He knew what must be done. Rolf reached over and grabbed hold of the shovel, gripping it firmly in his hands. He relished the feel of rough wood on his palms as he stepped back over to the entrance to his shed.

"Yes! Now let's go find Rolf and bury him for his sins!" the gruff voice ordered loudly as Rolf reached the entrance of his shed.

"You need not waste your time looking for Rolf, for Rolf is here to rain vengeance down upon ye!" Rolf shouted defiantly as he ripped open the door of his shed and jumped inside, shovel at the ready. Rolf, who was so filled with fury and an undying will of survival only moments before, found himself almost dropping his shovel in shock at what laid before him. Instead of the crowd of murderous hooligans that he expected to be standing in front of him, Rolf found himself face to face with his animals, who all stared at him with blank expressions. Victor, Wilfred, and Beatrice all stood near the back of the shed, while his chickens all stood in front of them. Rolf just stood there silently, his mouth hanging open slightly as he took in what he was seeing. Could it be possible that he was hearing things? It had been a long day on the farm, and he knew he could just be hearing things. But the voices seemed so crisp and clear... no, he knew what he had heard. Animals or no animals, they were plotting to kill him, and Rolf knew that he had no choice but to stop this here and now before it was too late. He just hoped his elders would understand what he had to do to save his life and that of his family.

"Rolf should've known this day would come..." Rolf began before sighing, his grip on his shoveling once again tightening. "All the back-breaking work that Rolf has performed in service to his animals, all the time Rolf spent taking care of you all, and this is how you wish to repay the son of a shepherd?" he fumed as he stepped toward the animals, who all took a step back, slight expressions of fear suddenly replacing their blank stares. "Well Rolf will not stand for this! If you so badly wish to avoid the punishment for misbehaving animals such as yourselves, then let Rolf help you by sending you all to where Rolf can no longer punish you: Hell!" he screamed before rushing toward the animals, his shovel raised far above his head. The animals all squawked and bleated before scattering, wishing to avoid death at the hands of the deranged farmhand. Rolf swung his shovel at one of his chickens, striking it hard in the side and sending it flying into his wall; the chicken slid down the wall and landed on the floor with a thud, now silenced forever. He whirled around and saw that the animals were trying to get to the shed door to escape, so he quickly rushed toward the door and got in front of it, blocking their escape. One of the chickens tried to squeeze through the crack in the door, but Rolf hit it with the shovel, crushing it to death against the wall.

Victor and Wilfred ran into the far left corner of Rolf's shed and they began ramming it, trying their best to escape the death trap before Rolf came for them as well. "Take this!" Rolf shouted before slamming his shovel down on another one of his chickens, killing it instantly. Beatrice stood in the far right corner of Rolf's shed, trembling in fear and knowing that her turn was most likely coming soon. Rolf swatted a few more chickens away with his shovel before looking up at the only three animals left in the shed with him: Victor, Wilfred, and Beatrice. "Now it is the time of reckoning for you three! Rolf will show you no mercy!" he cried as he began to rush toward Victor and Wilfred, who both shrieked in fear before renewing their struggle to escape. Rolf whirled around at the sound of his shed door being kicked in, stopping only feet from Victor and Wilfred.

"What in the world is going on in here, man?" Kevin shouted as he took a step into Rolf's shed. Kevin looked down when he felt his foot bump into something, and his mouth fell open in horror when his gaze fell upon a chicken with its head caved in. "Whoa..." he said as he took in every detail of the dead chicken.

"Plank wants to know what's in there, Kevin!" Jonny called out from behind Kevin. Kevin looked around the shed, which was covered in feathers, blood, and dead chickens. He spotted a shivering cow in the corner, and he spotted a wild-eyed Rolf with a shovel in his hand standing over a quivering pig and a terrified goat. His locked onto Rolf's, and the two of them stared at each other in silence for a moment.

"Dude... step away from the animals," Kevin began in a calm and collected voice as he slowly stepped into the shed. Kevin's suggestion only caused Rolf's grip on his shovel to tighten. Rolf saw Jonny, Edd, and Eddy all standing at the entrance of his shed, and he could see their expressions slowly twist into ones of horror as they too saw what lied inside of the shed.

"Holy crap..." Eddy muttered as he backed away a little from the shed.

"My word..." Edd whispered to himself as he cupped his hands around his mouth.

"What are you doing to your animals, Rolf?" Jonny cried as he ran inside of Rolf's shed and stopped a little behind Kevin. Jonny looked around the shed at all the maimed chickens, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. "Why are you killing them?" he screamed before rushing toward Rolf. Rolf suddenly held up his shovel, and Jonny stopped dead in his tracks.

"Stay back, Jonny the wood boy! You know not what you do!" Rolf proclaimed as Jonny stared up at him fearfully, Plank held closely to his side. "These filthy cretins plotted to end Rolf's life! Rolf had no choice but to end theirs first!" he explained further, although it was clear his explanation did not sit well with any of the kids that stood before him.

"Rolf's gone bonkers, Double D," Eddy whispered as he nudged Edd lightly in the side with his elbow.

"Eddy, we have to do something about this before Rolf hurts something besides his animals," Edd whispered back, although he didn't seemed thrilled by his own suggestion.

"Now you're sounding crazy, sockhead," Eddy countered as he looked up at Edd. "There's no way I'm going into that shed and letting Rolf play whack-a-mole all over my head with that shovel," he added.

"I'm not happy about it myself, but if we don't this will end badly," Edd shot back with a frown on his face. An apprehensive expression formed on Eddy's face, but he slowly nodded, knowing that Edd was right.

"Come on, man, you're sounding like a whack job!" Kevin exclaimed as he stood his ground. "Just drop the shovel and calm down!" he ordered as he pointed up at the shovel that Rolf held in his trembling arms. Rolf began to breathe heavily, angry that Kevin and Jonny didn't understand why he was doing what he was doing but also scared that they might stop him and allow his animals to run free.

"Rolf cannot do that, Kevin! If Rolf lowers his defenses, these fiends will be upon him like savages!" Rolf shouted fanatically. "Now leave Rolf's farm, lest you be harmed as well!" he commanded as he pointed toward the entrance of his shed. Rolf stared at the entrance of the shed as he pointed at it, a little confused. "Wait... where is the head-in-sock Ed-boy and the scheming Ed-boy?" he questioned, knowing that he saw them only moments before.

"Now!" Eddy shouted as he and Edd leaped toward Rolf from the corner of the shed that Beatrice stood in, having successfully sneaked around the walls of the shed.

"Stay back!" Rolf ordered as he tried to swing the shovel at Edd and Eddy. Eddy successfully ducked under his swing and grabbed hold of his arm, trying his best from letting him make a second attempt.

"Stop this madness, Rolf!" Edd pleaded as he wrapped his arms around Rolf's midsection and tried to restrain him. Despite Edd and Eddy's best efforts, it was clear that they alone would be unable to restrain the struggling and terrified boy by themselves; seeing this, Kevin quickly ran forward, shoving Jonny out of his way.

"You should've just listened to me and dropped the shovel!" Kevin yelled as he tackled Rolf, sending all four of them falling to the floor. The shovel that Rolf once held in his hands flew through the air and landed with a clatter in the middle of the shed.

"Release Rolf or feel his fury!" Rolf screamed as he began to swing his fists at his assailants, striking Edd, Eddy, and Kevin several times in the upper body and faces.

"That's it, you asked for this!" Kevin seethed before lifting his fist into the air and punching Rolf in the face. Rolf suddenly wrenched one of his arms free from Eddy and punched Kevin right in the jaw, sending him flying away. Rolf grabbed Eddy roughly by his three hairs, causing him to yelp in pain. He then tossed Eddy across the shed and into one of the walls.

"Wait, please don't-" was all Edd managed to get out before Rolf grabbed hold of him and tossed him beside Eddy, who had slid down the wall and was now moaning in pain.

"Why you did not listen to Rolf's warnings Rolf will never understand!" Rolf cried before stomping toward Edd and Eddy, who both shivered in a prone position next to the wall of the shed.

"We were just trying to help!" Edd cried as he hid his face behind his hands. Rolf raised his fist in preparation to pound Edd and Eddy to a pulp. Before he could proceed with the beating, however, he felt something hard and metal smack the back of his head, and blackness enveloped all he could see.

* * *

Rolf's eyes flicked open, and his entire vision was a massive dark blur. He blinked a few times, hoping to restore his eye sight. "Rolf's head..." he moaned as a searing pain flared up from the back of his skull. He moved his hands up to his head and rubbed it, but the pain persisted. He looked around slightly and could see that he was in his bedroom, although everything was distorted.

"You awake, Rolf?" Kevin asked as he suddenly stepped into Rolf's vision. Rolf blinked a few times, as if he didn't understand what Kevin had said; Kevin was extremely blurry, but he could still tell it was him from his voice.

"Is he up?" Edd asked as he stepped up beside Kevin, Eddy and Jonny right behind him.

"Yeah, he is, but he looks dazed," Kevin answered as he came a little closer to Rolf's bed. "Hey, can you understand me, man?" he questioned as he knelt beside the bed and stared Rolf in the eyes.

"Yes... yes, Rolf can understand you," Rolf replied, causing Kevin and the others to collectively sigh with relief.

"Thank goodness," Edd said before smiling a little. "I was afraid you had hit him a little too hard with that shovel, Jonny," Edd commented as he looked over at Jonny.

"Sorry, Double D, but at least he's okay," Jonny responded before turning his attention back to Rolf.

"Rolf apologizes for his behavior earlier in his shed..." Rolf said solemnly as he looked away from Kevin and the others. He didn't know what to make of what he had heard inside of his shed, but he was starting to think that maybe he had really just gone a little loopy from the day's exertions. Still, he felt guilty about killing some of his chickens and hurting Kevin, Edd, and Eddy; he found it difficult to even look them in their faces.

"Hey, it's alright man, at least you're better now," Kevin answered as Rolf turned his gaze back toward him.

"Rolf may be okay, but Rolf's animals will be forever frightened by Rolf's conduct today," Rolf lamented as a melancholy expression formed on his face.

"They're just animals, you can always get new ones," Kevin reasoned before standing up.

"Rolf supposes you are right..." Rolf muttered, clearly not happy with Kevin's solution. He loved his animals dearly. In fact, they were like family to him. He felt that he had hurt his family, and that they would never forgive him. He knew that Kevin's idea, however horrid it may seem, was probably for the best. He would have to be rid of Victor, Wilfred, and all of his other animals and start again. He suddenly hissed in pain, his headache flaring up again.

"You should probably get some rest, Rolf. You'll most definitely need it," Edd recommended.

"Alright, then can we go? Rolf's little hissy fit just cost me at least an hour of shut eye" Eddy asked, obviously impatient and wanting to get to bed.

"Eddy, don't you think you should be a little more sympathetic to Rolf's situation?" Edd questioned, taken aback once again by Eddy's callous behavior.

"Don't sweat it, Double Dweeb, your little dorky friend is right: we better get out of here and let Rolf get some sleep," Kevin stated before Eddy could respond to Edd. With that, Edd, Eddy, and Jonny marched out, each of them yawning and stretching as they did so. Kevin turned around and gave Rolf a thumbs up before leaving as well. Rolf watched as Kevin closed the door behind him, leaving him alone in the darkness of his room. He took in a deep breath of air and stared up at his dark ceiling, which was finally coming into focus as the pain waned a little, although he could still feel a dull ache in the back of his head. Rolf knew he should just get to sleep, but the thought of having to replace his animals stayed firmly rooted into his head. He felt like a nutcase after what he had done earlier. He had shamed his family with his idiotic and rash behavior, and he had even cost them the lives of their chickens. He figured he would have to give away the rest of his animals and then beg his parents to purchase new ones. He closed his eyes tightly at the thought, knowing that his parents would likely have a harsh punishment in store for such misbehavior on his part. Luckily for Rolf, exhaustion slowly dragged him into a deep slumber, and the thoughts of his animals, as well as any punishment that was in store for him, slowly drifted off into his subconscious.

* * *

"Rolf, where are you?" Jonny called out as he and Jimmy stepped into Rolf's house from the backdoor. Both of them were clad in their Urban Ranger uniforms, ready for the Urban Ranger meeting that was supposedly scheduled for noon that day. Jonny and Jimmy both looked around Rolf's kitchen, although there was no sign of their leader.

"Where could he be?" Jimmy asked as he looked over at Jonny, who had a clueless look on his face.

"I don't know..." Jonny answered as he rubbed his chin. "What's that, Plank?" he asked as he looked down at Plank, who smiled up at him. "Oh yeah, that's right!" he exclaimed as he slapped his forehead in remembrance.

"What is it?" Jimmy inquired, curious to find out what Jonny had remembered.

"Well, everyone already knows about Rolf freaking out yesterday and stuff, but we put him to bed after we had knocked him on his noggin, so he's probably still laying down, recovering from the pain," Jonny explained as Jimmy nodded.

"In that case, shouldn't we just call off the Urban Rangers meeting today?" Jimmy asked, realizing that it might be better to just let Rolf continue to rest.

"Yeah, we probably should..." Jonny trailed off as he stared blankly at a wall. "But we should check on Rolf before we leave to make sure he's doing okay," Jonny suggested.

"I guess it couldn't hurt," Jimmy answered before shrugging. With that, the two of them walked out of Rolf's kitchen and toward his room. They stopped in front of Rolf's door and Jonny raised his hand.

"Hey, Rolf, are you okay?" Jonny asked through the door as he rapped on it a few times. He and Jimmy waited a few moments for an answer, but there was no response.

"Are you sure Rolf didn't go to sell his animals or something?" Jimmy questioned. "I mean, I didn't see Victor, Wilfred, or any of his other animals out there." Jonny looked over at Jimmy and raised his eyebrow.

"Maybe..." Jonny responded as he looked down at the carpeting outside of Rolf's door. "I guess we can just go and-" he began to say, but suddenly stopped when he spotted an anomaly on Rolf's floor. "Hey, what's that on the floor?" he asked no one in particular as he knelt down to get a better look.

"What do you mean?" Jimmy questioned, not knowing what Jonny had seen. He got down on his knees with Jonny to see what he was looking at. There were several lines of muddy shapes that went toward Rolf's door and away from it as well. Jonny's eyes widened when he realized what they were.

"Holy cow, Jimmy... I think those are... animal tracks!" Jonny exclaimed in a slightly fearful voice as he and Jimmy locked eyes. They both shot to their feet and Jonny grabbed hold of Rolf's doorknob before twisting it and throwing the door wide open. Jonny and Jimmy stared into Rolf's room and their eyes fell upon his bed: it was empty.

* * *

Rolf's eyes slowly opened as he finally drifted out of his sleep and into the world of the living. He felt a dull pain still throbbing in the back of his head, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. Even so, he was still so tired and felt like he should go back to sleep, but he knew he had to get up and start his day. After all, there was an Urban Rangers meeting at noon, and he didn't want to miss it. Rolf looked over to his side in search of his clock, but instead only saw more darkness. "Hmm..." he mumbled as he began to sit up.

_Rolf, a boy who lives for his home country's traditions, has chosen to uphold them no matter what. As Rolf will discover, however, sometimes it's best if some of these traditions are buried six feet under the cold, hard dirt rather than kept alive in all their brutal ugliness. For in the Twilight Zone, old traditions lead to new consequences._

Rolf's head suddenly bumped into something wooden as he began to sit up, causing him to moan in pain, the sudden thump on his head reinvigorating the aching in his skull. "What is this?" he asked as he began to feel around him. His hands moved over smooth wood instead of soft bedsheets. He began to move around a little, but found that he could barely move at all. Realization washed over Rolf like the tide coming in. "No... no... no!" he cried as he began to pound on the wooden coffin that encased him.

Six or so feet above Rolf's new home stood a crowd of animals, all of them watching a plot of freshly dug dirt. Two animals, a goat and a pig, stood in front of the animals, both of their eyes locked onto the pile of dirt. The goat and the pig suddenly gave each other a high five before turning away from the mound of dirt, both of them ignoring the muffled screams that emanated from underneath of it. The group of animals disappeared into the forest, leaving behind the only boy who had ever cared for them in a tomb that knew no sound.


	6. Kevin: Blowback

**Author's Note: **_Greetings, and welcome to the next entry of The Twilight Ed. Per Yoshermon's advice, I went back and changed the abundant name-dropping that I was unconsciously doing, which should make the chapters read a bit better. This entry is a lot longer than the others, but I think none of you will mind that much. Now we finally join everyone's favorite jock Kevin as he too experiences the strange happenings of the Twilight Zone...__  
_

* * *

_You unlock this door with the key of imagination, beyond it is another dimension..._

_... a dimension of sound..._

_... a dimension of sight..._

_... a dimension of mind._

_You are moving into a land of both shadow and substance..._

_... of things and ideas._

_You've just crossed over into..._

_The Twilight Zone._

* * *

**MONDAY**

"Well, this blows," Kevin remarked in a melancholy tone as he and Nazz walked out of their English class side by side. The two of them walked to the side of the door and stopped, allowing the rest of class to file out of the room and head to their lockers. He stared down at a paper that his teacher had handed out that outlined an assignment that he wasn't thrilled about having to do at all. He couldn't help but scan over the heading that read "Life Experience Essay" at the top one more time, and he also couldn't help but roll his eyes and drop his arms to his side. He would much rather go home and do something exciting, but he knew that this essay would likely take up his whole week. After all, it was due next Monday, and he knew that if he procrastinated he would end up not writing the paper at all.

_Kevin, age twelve, is a boy who is admired by many, if not for his athleticism and skill at all manner of sports, then for his cool and level-headed demeanor. Dubbed by his peers as the coolest person they know, Kevin always manages to maintain a perfect image of what a preteen boy should be, by any measurable standard. As suave and cocksure as Kevin can be, however, there is one thing that can change this mellow boy into a raging madman, and that's three boys whom he has dubbed "dorks". In the presence of these so-called dorks, Kevin cannot help but lose his cool demeanor and revert to anger and violence. Keeping this fury under control will prove a difficult task for Kevin in the coming week, in more ways than one.  
_

"Don't sweat it, dude," Nazz said soothingly as she smiled at Kevin, who still seemed to be dreading having to write the essay. "If you read the whole page, it says it only has to be five pages," she pointed out as she carefully placed the paper she had received into a bright blue notebook.

"Doesn't change the fact that writing this thing is gonna be snoresville," Kevin answered before folding up the instruction page and tucking it into his pocket.

"Yeah, I know it'll be kind of boring to write, but all you gotta do is pace yourself," Nazz explained as she began to walk away from the classroom, Kevin quickly walking beside her. "Just write a page every night for the next week, and it'll go by in no time," she suggested, Kevin nodding in response. "I mean, that's how I'm gonna do it anyway."

"I guess it's not a bad idea," Kevin answered as the two of them passed by Jonny, who was rummaging around in his locker. He studied the bald boy for a moment as they walked past before turning his attention back to Nazz. "Anyway, I was thinking we could go cruising after school on my bike," he suggested before stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I just got a bunch of new parts for it and fixed it up real nice, and it's just begging to be taken for a spin," he explained as Nazz giggled.

"Sounds like a rad idea, Kev," Nazz responded as she pulled her notebook tightly to her chest. Further up the hallway from the two chatting preteens were Ed, Edd, and Eddy, who were currently bunched around Edd's locker. Ed and Eddy were snorting in laughter quietly as Edd stood in front of his locker with an exasperated expression plastered on his face.

"Honestly, Eddy, I only wish I was privy as to why you even wanted me to slip these horrid things into the school," Edd remarked as he tried his best to keep a pile of multicolored water balloons he had stashed in his locker from falling out.

"That's for me and Ed to know and for you to keep your mouth shut about, sockhead," Eddy answered as he peeked out from around the door to Edd's locker to make sure the coast was clear. His eyes went wide when he spotted Kevin and Nazz walking down the hallway and heading straight toward them.

"Oh boy, maybe Nazz and Kevin will want to help us!" Ed exclaimed loudly, causing Eddy to panic and slap his hand over Ed's mouth.

"Are you trying to tell the whole school about this, lumpy?" Eddy asked angrily before shoving Ed out of sight behind the door to Edd's locker. Eddy turned to face Edd and pushed him toward the water balloons. "What are you waiting for? Shut your stupid locker before Kevin and Nazz see the balloons and go squeal to the principle!" he ordered before staring back down the hallway at the two approaching kids.

"No need to be so pushy..." Edd complained under his breath before stuffing his hands in the locker and pushing the water balloons as hard as he could. Eddy bit his hand in fear as Kevin and Nazz drew closer and closer, both of them chatting and laughing.

"What's taking ya?" Eddy questioned as he looked back over at a red-faced Edd.

"These... balloons... can't... too many..." Edd huffed out as he struggled to stuff the balloons into his locker, his feet slowly skidding across the floor from the weight of the water balloons. Eddy began to jump up and down in alarm, fear and desperation shooting through ever fiber of his body.

"Darn it, scoot over, noodle arms!" Eddy ordered as he suddenly rushed forward and began to aid Edd in pushing the balloons into the locker. Edd and Eddy both put all their weight into it, both of them feeling the balloons pushing back against them, as if they were desperately trying to escape the confines of Edd's locker. Despite their best efforts, the two of them just couldn't manage to squeeze the water balloons back into the locker; Ed began to panic himself upon seeing how close Nazz and Kevin were to them.

"Here comes the Ed train!" Ed proclaimed before running toward Edd and Eddy. He slammed himself into their backs, causing water balloons to rocket out of the locker and onto the floor behind them.

"And maybe I'll even show you some cool new tricks I-"

"Kevin, look out!" Nazz warned as she stopped in her tracks and pointed in front of the distracted boy.

"Wha-" was all Kevin managed to get out as he felt his foot step on something plastic. His foot went flying backwards as he slipped up on a water balloon, which rocketed up the hallway behind him and slammed into the back of Jonny's head, causing him to whirl around in surprise. Kevin's face slammed into a pile of water balloons that were on the floor of the hallway, Nazz and the Eds watching in horror as they exploded all over his face.

"Oh my..." Edd sputtered out as he examined Kevin, whose face was lying in a puddle of water. The Eds stood by idly, each of them more than a little scared, as Nazz ran forward and got down on her knees beside Kevin.

"Are you alright?" Nazz asked in a concerned tone as she lightly touched Kevin's back. Her hand recoiled away from Kevin when he suddenly gripped the floor with his hands and pushed his face off of the floor; she could see that his entire front side was soaked in water, and, worst of all, his battered face, which had a few balloon fragments clinging to it, had an expression of indescribable rage. She followed his gaze and saw the objects of his fury: Ed, Edd, and Eddy. The Eds stared back at Kevin with a mixture of shock and terror, all of them fearing what Kevin would do in reprisal.

"Whoa, Plank, did you see the way Kevin's face smacked into those balloons?" Jonny asked loud enough for Kevin to hear as he looked down at his wooden friend.

"Kevin, let's just get to class..." Nazz suggested in a tiny voice, knowing that any word could set him off. Kevin looked at her, one of his eyes twitching a little, before looking back at the Eds, who were still frozen in place next to Edd's locker. Eddy was the first to move, and he slowly removed his hands from inside of Edd's locker, a few water balloons spilling out and falling beside his feet as he did so.

"Hey, Kev..." Eddy said in a fake friendly voice as he gave a nervous grin. "P-Pretty f-funny, huh?" he asked as he felt his back hit the locker behind him. Edd and Eddy whirled around in a panic when Ed suddenly started laughing dumbly.

"Yeah, it was hilarious!" Ed declared before laughing even harder. Kevin suddenly pounded his fist into the floor; that was the last straw.

"Dorks!" Kevin screamed in fury as he launched himself from his prone position and toward the Eds.

"Not the face!" Eddy pleaded as Kevin slammed his palm into Eddy's cheek and slammed his face into the locker so hard that his head literally burst through it. Kevin then turned toward Edd, whose face turned ghost-white.

"Please see reason, it was an accident!" Edd pleaded as he began to turn away to run. Kevin suddenly grabbed Edd's wrist and forced it inside of his locker. He then slammed the locker shut on Edd's hand and quickly slapped the lock closed on it. "Yeowch!" Edd yelped as he tugged on his arm, furiously trying to remove his hand from the crushing pain of the locker door.

"Pain bad for Ed!" Ed exclaimed as he backed away in fear from Kevin, who had turned his attention to the trembling boy.

"Wrong, dork, pain good for Ed!" Kevin answered before rearing his fist back and sending it rocketing into Ed's stomach, causing the bigger boy to double over in pain.

"My tummy..." Ed moaned before collapsing to the floor, his hands gripping his stomach in agony. Kevin then backed up a few steps from the Eds, each of them crying for help and yelling in pain from their predicaments.

"You dorks should watch what you're doing next time," Kevin commented before spitting on the floor in front of Ed, who was still moaning from Kevin's punch to his gut. Kevin wiped some bits of balloon off of his face as he began to cool off, the sight of the Eds in pain soothing the humiliation he had just suffered. "What the-" he said in surprise as someone suddenly grabbed him by the arm and began to pull him away from the Eds. He turned his head and saw that the culprit was Nazz. "What's up?" he asked, not sure of why Nazz was tugging on his arm.

"Just come on," Nazz answered, although her voice certainly wasn't as upbeat as it had been only moments before. Although hesitant at first, Kevin finally allowed Nazz to pull him away from the three boys he had injured and into the lunchroom. She pulled him over into a corner of the lunchroom, trying her best to ignore the gazes of some of the other students, who were all looking at the soaked and battered boy that stood next to her. "Kevin..." Nazz began as she stared up at Kevin, who was currently gazing over at the Kanker sisters in anger; they were all guffawing and pointing over at him, some of their food spilling out of their mouths as they did so. "Ignore them, just listen to me," she said, causing Kevin to turn back toward her.

"Alright, what is it?" Kevin asked, hating the fact that people were staring and laughing at him.

"I can't believe what you did to the Eds back there," Nazz stated, causing Kevin to arch an eyebrow at her. "It was just... horrible. How could you hurt them like that?" she questioned, causing Kevin's mouth to fall open.

"What do you mean?" he asked, obviously taken aback by Nazz's seeming defense of the Eds. "Did you not see what those losers did to me? Not only did they make me fall onto those stupid water balloons, they humiliated me in front of everybody!" he exclaimed, anger rising up from within him.

"Jonny was the only other person out there with us," Nazz shot back, causing Kevin to sigh and don a smug smile.

"Yeah, Jonny was the only one out there with us, but he ain't the only one who knows about it," he remarked before crossing his arms. Nazz peered around Kevin and looked out into the lunchroom at all the other students, mentally smacking herself in the face.

"Okay, I'm sorry that I dragged you in here and in front of all these people," she apologized before sighing. "But that still doesn't excuse what you did to the Eds! You seriously overreacted, dude, it was just an accident!"

"An accident?" Kevin asked incredulously. "Wake up, Nazz! Those dorks hurt you all the time too! Heck, they've hurt all of us at some point!" he shouted loudly.

"Kevin..." Nazz whispered in a low voice as she looked over into the lunchroom, seeing that everyone was even more interested in Kevin now that he was yelling at her.

"Come on, you have to admit that I'm right," Kevin stated as Nazz mulled it over in her head.

"Look... you... you do have a point," she finally said after a moment of silence, illiciting a slight smile out of Kevin, who was happy to see that Nazz agreed with his assessment of the Eds. "But that doesn't mean that you have to hurt them like that," she reasoned, causing Kevin's smile to disappear just as quickly as it had appeared.

"But the Eds-"

"I know that the Eds hurt you, but I don't care if it was on purpose or by accident, you should've been the bigger man and just walked away from them," Nazz stated. Kevin's mouth turned into a thin line. He didn't understand why Nazz was saying this; the Eds were complete losers who deserved anything that came their way. The fact that Nazz couldn't see this just didn't make any sense to him.

"So you're basically telling me that I should just let those dweebs walk all over me?" Kevin asked, causing Nazz to shake her head.

"I'm telling you to stop letting the things they do get to you. You've got to learn to turn the other cheek and control your anger," Nazz explained, although it was clear Kevin still wasn't convinced. "At least try it for this week..."

"I don't... but... I don't know..." Kevin stuttered. He wasn't thrilled with her suggestion at all; in fact, it honestly kind of frightened him. He didn't know if he could walk away from the Eds if they did something to him, even if it was something as minor as calling him a name or something. And she wanted him to endure such a torture for an entire week.

"Please Kevin? Can you do it for me?" Nazz pleaded as she batted her eyelashes at him, knowing that she could possibly use her charms to convince him. Kevin sighed and looked away for a moment, still fighting a mental battle with himself. He could still feel the sting of humiliation from seeing Ed laugh at him in the hallway like it was some kind of funny little joke, as well as feel the embarrassment of being dragged into the lunchroom, soaked from head to toe, and have to bear the stares and laughs of every student in the lunchroom, including those rotten Kanker sisters. He suddenly sucked in a deep breath of air, trying to brush away these thoughts and slip them under the rug. Nazz was asking him to try something for her, and he wasn't about to let her down for the second time that day.

"You know what?" Kevin stated as he turned to her, a little smile on his face. "I think I'll give it a try." Nazz's face lit up at Kevin's answer, and a grin spread across her cheeks.

"Seriously, dude? You really mean it?" she asked, more than a little shocked that Kevin would actually agree to her suggestion.

"Of course... maybe I have been a little hot-headed when dealing with the dor- I mean... the Eds in the past, but I'll try being a little nicer and just walking away from them," Kevin laid out as Nazz bit her bottom lip in a mixture of happiness and disbelief.

"Thank you so much," Nazz said before laying her hand on Kevin's shoulder, causing him to blush a little. He attempted to hide it from her, but Nazz saw the red on his cheeks and couldn't help but blush a little herself.

"It's no big deal..." Kevin answered before rubbing the back of his neck. "Anyway, let's just go get lunch and sit down with Rolf, Sarah, and Jimmy," he recommended as he moved out of Nazz's way. "Ladies first," he said before smiling. Nazz giggled and walked toward the lunch line, Kevin quickly following her. He was delighted to see Nazz so happy now; he knew he had done the right thing by agreeing to walk away from the Eds for the coming week. He knew it would be tough, but he figured it was only for a week; how many times could the Eds honestly screw around with him in only a week?

* * *

Kevin scooted up to his desk in a wooden chair and stared down at a blank piece of loose leaf paper that laid in front of him. It was dark outside, so Kevin had to rely on the light from his lamp, which illuminated his entire bedroom in a shade of yellowish light. He sighed as he grabbed hold of a number two pencil that was sitting next to the paper. He brought the pencil to the upper right corner of the paper and wrote his name as well as the class that the assignment was for, English in this case. He then neatly wrote "My Life Experience Essay" at the top; he knew it wasn't a creative title at all, but he just honestly was hoping to pull at least a C with this paper, so he certainly wasn't aiming very high. He brought the pencil to the first line and stopped, the tip of the pencil hovering a few millimeters over the paper. He wasn't sure of what to write at all. The assignment called for him to write about something in his life that had a huge effect on him, but he wasn't sure of what to choose from his life.

She suddenly popped into his mind. The girl who had been his friend for a while now. The girl who lit up his day every time he saw her. He figured since they didn't have to read the essay in front of the class, he would go ahead and write about someone who really did have an effect on his life: Nazz. With his best friend in mind, the pencil finally began to move across the once empty piece of paper, his simple words and sentences soon filling it up fairly quickly. As Kevin reached the halfway point of the page, he smiled a little; this essay was going to be a piece of cake.

* * *

**TUESDAY**

"I told ya I fixed her up nice," Kevin bragged as he cruised down the sidewalk on his bicycle, Nazz riding on the handlebars.

"You totally did, this has been a really smooth ride," Nazz answered as she looked back at Kevin, who looked completely at ease. The school came into view as Kevin rounded a corner, and a little smile appeared on his face.

"Looks like we're finally here," Kevin announced as Nazz turned back around and saw the school as well.

"Aw, I wish we could've cruised a bit longer," Nazz said as she opened up her notebook to make sure all of her assignments were ready to be turned in.

"Don't sweat it, babe, we can always go cruising again after school," Kevin assured her, causing her to turn around and beam at him, Kevin returning her radiant smile.

* * *

Kevin stared down at the sheet full of math equations, trying his best to wrap his head around the many different symbols and numbers. He leaned down toward the paper and scribbled a few steps as well as a solution down, although he wasn't completely sure if any of it was right. He just wanted to receive some sort of credit, regardless of whether he was right or not. He took a moment to look around his Math class, curious as to what everyone else was doing. In front of him was Rolf, who seemed to be panicking over the math assignment in front of him. Kevin couldn't help but grin a little, finding his friend's fear a bit on the funny side; it was just like Rolf to freak out in all of his classes, mostly because a lot of the stuff in school seemed to confuse the heck out of him.

Kevin then turned his gaze to his side; Nazz sat beside him, and she seemed completely concentrated on her work, writing answers down every few seconds. He then reluctantly turned his gaze behind him, his eyes falling upon Ed, Edd, and Eddy. Ed seemed to be doodling some pictures on the math sheet in front of him, while Edd, of course, was already done with the work and seemed to be waiting patiently for the teacher to come around and collect it. He then singled out Eddy in his vision, and was a bit surprised to see that Eddy was staring back at him, a smug expression on his face. Kevin couldn't help but mouth "dork" at Eddy, causing Eddy's grin to widen a little. Kevin then turned away from Eddy and went back to his work, knowing that he was just stalling so he didn't have to do it. He focused his attention on the next problem on the sheet, and the gears in his head began to turn as he worked over the solution in his head.

Kevin's train of thought screeched to a halt when he felt something hit the back of his head and then bounce off. He whirled around in his seat and instantly looked at Eddy, who was tapping his desk in boredom and staring off into the distance. Kevin then looked down at the floor and spotted a balled up piece of paper. He quickly reached down and snatched it up before turning back around in his desk. He uncurled the sheet of paper and straightened it out, and he was actually surprised to find writing inside of it. He adjusted himself in his seat and leaned forward to get a better look at the writing, which was warped and twisted from the many creases in the paper. "Incoming..." Kevin whispered to himself. He furrowed his brow, not knowing what it meant.

Kevin was suddenly bombarded by paper balls, which ricocheted off the back of his head and his back and went falling all over his desk and all over the floor. He whirled around and looked over at the Eds; Ed and Eddy were giggling to themselves, trying their best to keep their laughter quiet so that the teacher wouldn't hear them, and Edd was sitting next to the two jokers shaking his head in disappointment. Kevin gripped the back of his seat tightly, and he began to feel hot under his collar. He so badly wanted to just get out of his seat and go teach the Eds a lesson in pain, but he knew he couldn't do it. Not only because the teacher was sitting there, but he had also made a promise to Nazz, and he wasn't about to go and beat their tails right in front of her. So Kevin merely turned back around in his seat, trying his best to keep his anger to himself but finding it very difficult.

Luckily for Kevin, the rest of class flew by, and he soon heard the ringing of the bell and the quick shuffling of feet as people got out of their desks and headed out of the room. "At last, Rolf has been released from this mishmash of numbers and letters," Rolf said in relief as he stood up from his desk and turned to Kevin and Nazz.

"Tell me about it, Rolf, this class is killing me," Kevin replied as he stood up and got out of his desk, his feet kicking a few paper balls across the floor as he did so.

"Hey, what's with all the rolled up paper around your desk?" Nazz asked as she stared down at the numerous spheres of white.

"I don't want to talk about it," Kevin answered as a frown appeared on his face. "Let's just get out of her and get to our next class," he suggested, illiciting a nod from both Rolf and Nazz.

"Yes, Rolf is very eager to learn about the world in history!" Rolf proclaimed as the three of them began to move through the desks and toward the door. "Perhaps we will finally get to talk about Rolf's home country and its past," he wondered aloud as Nazz smiled up at him and Kevin crossed his arms.

"That would be so rad!" Nazz exclaimed as she and Rolf exited through the doorway to the classroom. As soon as Kevin walked out behind them, a paper ball smacked into his right cheek and bounced off before landing lightly on the waxed floor of the hallway. He turned to his right in shock, and Eddy's smiling face came into his view.

"Whoops, looks like I forgot one!" Eddy taunted before bursting out into laughter. Ed, who was standing right beside him, quickly joined in on Eddy's laughter, and Edd watched in fear from behind his two friends, knowing that what they were doing only served to tick Kevin off. Kevin's hands balled up into fists and they began to shake at his sides. "Uh oh, Ed, I think Kevin's gonna blow a fuse in his chin!" Eddy joked before laughing so hard that tears began to gather in his eyes.

"That's it, dorky, I'm gonna take this paper ball and jam it up your nose!" Kevin declared before snatching the paper ball up off of the floor and stomping toward Eddy, his face beet red with fury.

"Run for it, Ed!" Eddy shouted as he and Ed turned to run. Kevin caught Eddy by his collar and yanked him backwards before whirling the shorter boy around to face him. He wrapped his hand around Eddy's neck and held him still, ready to make good on his promise to jam the wad of paper up his pudgy little nose. Kevin suddenly made himself stop when he felt eyes on him, other than the scared eyes of the Eds, of course. Kevin slowly turned his head around, and his gaze fell upon Nazz and Rolf, who watched from a few yards behind him. Rolf had an expression of slight amusement on his face, while Nazz had an expression of disappointment on hers. Kevin's throat tightened when he realized what he had to do. He huffed before turning his attention back to Eddy, who was staring up at him in terror.

"See you around, Eddy," Kevin managed to grunt out before releasing Eddy's neck from his grip, dropping the paper ball on the ground, and then turning around and walking toward Rolf and Nazz. Eddy looked after Kevin in bewilderment, not understanding why Kevin had let him go without hitting him.

"Am I imagining things, or did Kevin just let you go without severely injuring you first?" Edd asked as he walked up behind Eddy, Ed quickly joining the two of them at their sides.

"Heh, he must've realized that he just couldn't bring himself to hurt a face this beautiful" Eddy reasoned as he stood up straight and popped his collar.

"Yeah, Eddy is beautiful like a cute little kitty cat!" Ed proclaimed as he snatched Eddy up and began petting him, much to Eddy's dismay and Edd's slight amusement.

"I'm proud of you for walking away like that... you know that, right?" Nazz asked as she looked over at Kevin, who was staring at the floor, an indescribable expression on his face.

"Yeah... yeah, I know..." Kevin answered, although it was clear he wasn't thrilled about leaving Eddy without punishing him first.

"Yes, Rolf is very proud of hot-head Kevin as well!" Rolf chimed in as he adjusted his book on his shoulder, which he was holding on to by a single leather strap that was attached to it. "Rolf expected to see pancakes made out of the Ed-boys!" he added, causing Kevin to chuckle.

"Well it wasn't easy... that jerk Eddy just had to go and ruin my day with his stupid paper balls," Kevin lamented as he crossed his arms.

"Hey, don't think about it too much and it will just fade into the background," Nazz reassured him as the three of them stopped outside of the doorway to their history class. Kevin's eyes widened in surprise when Nazz suddenly wrapped her arms around him and gave him a tight little hug; he quickly recovered from his shock and returned her hug, Rolf looking on in amusement.

"What was that for?" Kevin asked with a smirk as Nazz released him.

"Just a little something for keeping your promise, dude," she answered before giggling. Kevin blushed again and Rolf chuckled to himself as the three of them hurried into their history class and took their seats.

* * *

Kevin's pencil moved carefully between the blue lines that divided up the paper in front of him. He had started on the second page of his essay a few moments before, and once again his pencil seemed to have a life of its own, moving quickly across the paper as ideas flooded out from his head onto the paper. It made sense that his paper would be easy to write, and he never actually used Nazz's name in the paper, so he knew he was safe from the teacher knowing who he was talking about. He was once again thankful that he wouldn't have to read it in front of the class, knowing that Nazz would realize that he had written about her.

His cheerful and blissful thoughts about Nazz suddenly began to melt away as the memory of Ed and Eddy's shenanigans earlier that day flooded into his head. He had listened to Nazz and moved on from physically hurting them, but he couldn't help but still feel the sting of anger as he remembered Eddy taking him for a chump and throwing those stupid little wads of paper at him. He didn't realize it as he sat there in thought, but his grip on his pencil was slowly tightening. He felt like marching over to Eddy's house, ripping him away from whatever he was doing, and pounding the living day lights out of him.

Snap.

Kevin looked down at the pencil that was in his hand saw that he had accidentally snapped it in two. "Dang it..." Kevin muttered in annoyance before discarding the broken pencil in a little trash can that he kept next to his desk. He then opened up a drawer on his desk and grabbed another pencil before closing it shut. Even though he hated wasting that pencil like that, the anger that was there only seconds before had dissipated, so he decided not to dwell on it anymore and instead focus on finishing the second page of his paper.

* * *

**WEDNESDAY**

The doors to the lunchroom opened as Kevin, Nazz, and Rolf stepped through them, happy expressions plastered on each of their faces. "No way, Rolf, I am not gonna be your math tutor," Kevin said to the taller boy as the three of them strolled toward their usual lunch table.

"Come now, Rolf must pass his adding and subtracting numbers class, and, without assistance, Rolf fears that he is not up to the task of earning a good grade," Rolf lamented as they walked past the Kanker sisters, who were all pigging out on some lunches they had packed for themselves. "Rolf only wishes that doodling the numbers was as easy as herding goats!" he exclaimed, causing Kevin and Nazz to laugh.

"If you really want help with math, you should just ask Double D, he's a whiz at math," Nazz suggested as Rolf nodded. Kevin's happy expression dampened a little, Nazz's mentioning of Edd only reminding him of his hatred for him and his friends.

"Of course, but the hat-wearing Ed-boy is a whiz at everything that has to do with stretching the mind, is he not?" Rolf stated as the three of them took seats next to Sarah and Jimmy.

"How's it going, guys?" Nazz asked as she looked over at Sarah and Jimmy.

"Nothing too exciting," Sarah answered as she opened up her lunchbox and pulled out a wrapped up turkey sandwich and a box of grape juice. "But me and Jimmy did paint a really cool picture of the cul-de-sac in art!" she explained as Jimmy smiled opened up his lunchbox.

"Yeah, you should help us hang it up on Sarah's wall after school!" Jimmy suggested, causing Nazz to smile at the young boy.

"Of course I will, little dude! Besides, I'd really like to see this painting, I'm sure it's beautiful," Nazz answered before turning to Kevin and Rolf.

"Hey, are you two hungry?" Kevin asked as he readied himself to get up. "I mean, we should probably go get something to eat from the lunch line," he added.

"I'm not really all that hungry, but you can go get something if you want," Nazz answered before shrugging. Kevin nodded and turned his attention to Rolf.

"Rolf ate a large and bountiful breakfast this morning, and Rolf fears that if he eats anymore his belly will pop like a pig stomach stuffed with too many raspberries!" Rolf explained, Kevin raising an eyebrow at Rolf's explanation but nodding none-the-less.

"Suit yourselves, but I'm starved," Kevin commented before standing up from his seat. "Don't have too much fun without me," he said before heading toward the lunch line, leaving Nazz, Rolf, Jimmy, and Sarah to chat amongst themselves. Kevin strolled leisurely up to the lunch line, grabbed a lunch tray, and then got behind Jonny, who was currently looking over the selection of foods that were available.

"Come on, Plank, I'm totally feeling like cheese pizza today," Jonny stated before looking down at Plank. "But why can't I just get the cheese pizza and you get the tater tots?" he inquired, causing Kevin to sigh in annoyance.

"Can you get a move on, Jonny? I'm hungry and I'm not in the mood to wait around forever just to get some lunch," Kevin complained, causing Jonny to look over at the flame-haired jock.

"Hey, don't look at me, Plank's the one who doesn't want me to get the cheese pizza for some reason," Jonny answered, causing Kevin to roll his eyes.

"Hurry it up, I ain't missing lunch because you couldn't find your stupid calculator, Double D!" Eddy's voice called out as he pushed open the double doors to the lunchroom. He stepped inside with gusto in his step, Ed and Edd quickly following him into the lunchroom.

"I'm sorry, Eddy, but I forgot where I had hidden it," Edd answered as he struggled to keep up with Eddy. "Although I will say that I wouldn't even have to hide it at all if Ed would just stop trying to remove the buttons," he complained, causing Ed to don the look of a sad puppy.

"But they look like little pieces of candy, Double D, I just wanted to see how they tasted!" Ed shot back in his defense, causing Eddy to groan and stuff his hands in his pockets.

"Aw, what's the matter?" Lee asked as the Eds passed by her and her sisters, who had stopped eating and stared at them, little grins on their faces. "Did you boys break your nails or something?" she questioned before bursting into laughter. May and Marie joined in, little flecks of food flying out of their mouths as they laughed heartily.

"Mind your own business, Kanker," Eddy barked in response before leading his two nervous friends toward the lunch line. The Eds got in line behind Kevin, who was still waiting impatiently for Jonny to finally make up his mind about what he was going to eat for lunch.

"I swear if this blimp headed idiot doesn't hurry up..." Eddy heard Kevin mutter to himself, causing him to peer around Kevin and see Jonny, who was staring at a piece of cheese pizza.

"Oh great," Eddy began as he turned to Ed and Edd. "Now we gotta wait for the infinite forehead over here to make up his mind before we can grab some grub," he informed his friends. Kevin turned around when he heard Eddy, and his expression sunk even lower now that he knew that his most hated enemies were in line right behind him.

"This is just awesome," Kevin griped as he stared at the Eds, who all turned to face him. "Not only do I have to be stuck behind Jonny, who can never decide what the heck he wants to eat, but now I have the dork squad behind me," he complained to the Eds faces, causing a scowl to appear on Eddy's face.

"Believe me, shovelchin, the feeling is mutual," Eddy answered as he and Kevin stared at each other, their eyes locked together and refusing to budge.

"Please, gentlemen, we're all here to get food..." Edd reasoned, hoping that he could diffuse whatever was about to happen between Eddy and Kevin. "Can't we all just stand in line and receive our nutritious meals in peace?" he asked, although Eddy and Kevin didn't seem to register that he had even spoken at first.

"Hey, Kevin started it with his stupid dork squad line," Eddy shot back as he looked over at Edd. "Wonder what genius wrote that in his script," he added, causing Kevin to suck his teeth in anger. He felt like lifting his foot and squashing Eddy just like the little insect he was, but he knew he had to suck it up, both for his sake and Nazz's.

"Whatever," Kevin muttered before turning around, trying his best to ignore the Eds. Edd sighed with relief, believing that he had indeed solved whatever conflict was about to erupt between Kevin and Eddy.

"Alright then, buddy, cheese pizza with tater tots on top it is!" Jonny exclaimed as he poured his tater tots all over his cheese pizza and left the lunch line, causing Kevin to sigh with relief.

"Finally..." Kevin whispered to himself as he walked over to the food and snatched up a piece of cheese pizza. He then moved further up the lunch line and grabbed a bottle of water, happy that Jonny had decided to just skip over grabbing a drink. Kevin began to step out of the end of the lunch line, ready to finally go sit with Nazz and Rolf and enjoy his meal.

"Kevin, wait!" Kevin heard Ed call from behind him, causing him to reluctantly turn around.

"Dang it, lumpy, you could've just said excuse me!" Eddy complained as Ed shoved his way past Edd and Eddy in the lunch line and stopped in front of Kevin.

"What do you want, Ed?" Kevin snapped, his tone of voice clearly indicating that he wanted nothing to do with the tall boy.

"Your shoes are untied, mister!" Ed declared as he pointed down at Kevin's shoes. Kevin peaked around his lunch tray and saw that his shoes were indeed untied. Kevin looked back up at Ed, who had a goofy smile plastered on his face.

"Uh... thanks, I guess," Kevin answered slowly, not used to expressing gratitude toward any of the Eds. He began to walk away, now taking his steps more carefully, but Ed suddenly grabbed him by his shoulder.

"Hold on now, buckaroo!" Ed exclaimed as he turned Kevin around to face him. "I can't let my chum Kevin go around with some naughty shoe laces!" he explained as Kevin stared up at him in annoyance. "Let me tie them for you so that they can't tangle around your legs like the mutant snakes from the planet Gorgmunch!" he suggested as he began to bend over, his hands outstretched toward Kevin's shoes.

"Get your hands away from my shoes, ya dork," Kevin complained as he tried to step away from Ed, not wanting the oaf anywhere near his shoes, which he was sure Ed would ruin.

"Ah ah ah, hold still or you could trip and fall!" Ed warned Kevin, causing him to sigh and stop in his tracks.

"Fine, go ahead and tie my shoes," Kevin finally relented, figuring that the faster he let Ed tie his shoes the faster he could get away from him. Ed grabbed hold of Kevin's shoe laces on his right shoe and tied them quickly before moving onto Kevin's left shoe, quickly tying the laces on that foot as well.

"All done!" Ed declared as Kevin looked down at Ed and his shoe laces, which were perfectly tied.

"Good, can I go now?" Kevin asked. Although he was appreciative that Ed would be so kind as to tie his shoes for him, he still didn't like Ed, especially since he took part in all of Eddy's pranks and scams.

"You sure can, Kevin!" Ed answered as he started to stand up. His head slammed into Kevin's lunch tray as he stood up, sending the lunch tray flying out of Kevin's hands and smack dab into his face. Ed's goofy smile disappeared when saw the lunch tray that was slowly sliding down Kevin's face. "Uh... sorry..." he said as he twiddled his thumbs. Eddy gripped his stomach as laughter exploded from his mouth, and Edd could only watch from behind Ed with a mortified expression. The tray slid off of Kevin's face and clattered to the floor in front of him; the piece of cheese pizza was stuck to his chin and his water bottle had exploded all over him, once again leaving him soaked with water just like he was two days before.

"I think Kevin needs a bib!" Kevin heard Marie Kanker call out as she and her sisters began to cackle evilly.

"Well wouldya look at that..." Sarah commented as she nudged Jimmy, the two of them giggling at Kevin's predicament. Rolf bit his lip, trying his best to stop himself from laughing, while Nazz slapped her hands over her mouth in horror, knowing that this could be just the thing to make Kevin snap and hurt the Eds. Kevin's hands began to shake with rage as his eyes bored into Ed's, his teeth slowly grating together.

"I-I-I can get some napkins for you!" Ed managed to sputter out as he backed a few steps away from Kevin, knowing that he was about to explode. Kevin could feel the rage building up inside of him; it was bubbling up so fast that he feared he might blow his top like a volcano. Eddy finally shut his trap when he realized that Kevin might just pound him for laughing at him. The piece of cheese pizza finally slid off of Kevin's chin and landed on the floor, although he still had little strings of cheese hanging off of his chin from where it had hit him.

Kevin slowly turned his trembling head to look over at Nazz, who had a pleading look in her eyes. He could tell that she was literally begging him not to do it with that expression, but he just didn't know if he could listen to her. The laughter of the Kankers permeated the background, and he could feel his fists tightening as he tried to bottle up his rage. He had been once again humiliated by the Eds in front of everyone. He had once again let them make him look like a chump. But he had to listen to Nazz. He had to. She was the light of his life, and he couldn't bring himself to disappoint her.

"Stupid dorks!" Kevin cried before lifting his foot and bringing it down hard on his lunch tray, snapping it in half. He then turned on his heel and stormed out of the lunch room, leaving the Eds to stare after him in confusion, leaving the Kankers to continue laughing at his expense, and leaving Nazz to sigh in relief.

* * *

"I can't believe that dork!" Kevin screamed before slamming his fist into his bedroom wall, leaving a dent in it. He removed his fist and seethed in anger, the sight of his damaged wall only serving to further push into despair. He turned around, his eyes searching for something else that he could beat to release his anger. He spotted a clothes bin that was next to his bed, and he quickly ran over to it. He grabbed it by its sides and tossed it across his room, sending shirts and pairs of pants flying in every direction. The clothes bin bounced off of his wall and landed with a thud on his bedroom floor. He then turned to his bed and began to pound on it like a maniac, taking pleasure in imagining that each punch was hitting the Eds instead of his bed. After a few more moments of beating on his bed, he finally felt the anger wash away, and he sighed with relief at the strange sensation of being calm. His breathing finally became steady, and he could feel his heartbeat slow down.

"Dorks..." Kevin muttered to himself before walking over to his desk, taking a seat in his chair, and taking hold of his pencil. He began writing quickly, hoping to get out whatever ideas he had onto the paper before he got angry again and decided to break his pencil or tear his paper to shreds. He figured he'd clean up his clothes in the morning or something, and he also hoped that he could convince his parents to buy him a poster or something so that he could cover up the hole in his wall.

* * *

**THURSDAY**

Kevin's eyes were locked onto the clock that hung above the blackboard of his English class; he watched as the second hand slowly made its way around the clock, each passing second seeming like an entire minute to him. He prayed this class would be over quickly so that he could get out of the room and get on with the school day. He didn't feel like talking to anyone, even Nazz, who was sitting right beside him. He just wanted this day to end before he went crazy from his anger at the Eds. Kevin sighed with relief when the bell finally rung, and he quickly got out of his seat and hurried to the door, leaving Nazz behind. He passed through the doorway and hurried up the hall, trying his best to ignore the sounds of Nazz calling his name. He could ignore her no longer, however, when she grabbed his shoulder, stopping him from advancing any further up the hallway without her.

"Why are you ignoring me?" Nazz asked as Kevin turned to her, a hard look on his face. He mulled over her question for a moment, wondering how he was actually going to answer her. He really didn't want to ignore her, but he just felt like it was better if he stayed away from her until this week was over. He just didn't want to end up snapping from his anger at the Eds and hurting her instead.

"I'm sorry, I'm just not feeling all that good today," he answered before shrugging. "I think I'd rather just be left alone is all." She arched her eyebrow at him, as if turning his answer over in her head. She finally sighed and then smiled.

"Alright, if that's what you want," Nazz replied as she let go of his shoulder. "But remember that I'm your best friend dude; if there's something wrong, you can always talk to me about it," she assured him before taking a few steps away, her blue notebook gripped tightly in her hand. "See you in Math, Kev," she said before hurrying off to their next class. Kevin sighed before turning away and heading toward his locker to retrieve some supplies for math. After a minute of walking, he finally reached his locker. He entered his combination and pulled open the locker door before reaching inside and retrieving a red notebook that he used for his math class from inside of it. He also made sure to grab a ruler and stick it inside of the notebook, remembering that he might need it for the lesson. After making sure there was nothing else he needed, he shut the locker door and snapped the lock shut before turning away from it and heading up the hall and toward his math class.

Kevin strolled up the hallway at a snail's pace, not really seeing the need to move too fast. After all, there was still plenty of time to get to math, and he really didn't want to see the Eds all that much, who would certainly be there to annoy him yet again with their presence. He noticed that the hallways were empty, leaving him the only person still not in class as far as he could tell. When he came close to an intersection in the hallway, he froze at the pattering of feet moving up the adjoining hallway. "Who could that-" Kevin managed to mutter before jumping backward in surprise when someone came rocketing around the corner. The person smacked his shoulder hard as they ran past him, causing him to drop his notebook on the floor, the ruler sliding out from inside of it and hitting the bottom of some lockers. He turned around and stared after the person, and he bared his teeth in anger when he saw that it was Edd that had smacked into him and knocked his notebook out of his hand.

"Watch where you're going, Double Dork!" Kevin called after Edd.

"I'm sorry, Kevin!" Edd called back as he ran down the hallway at breakneck speed. Kevin bent over to pick up his notebook, a sour expression on his face. He didn't even get a moment to think about why Edd was even running up the hallway before he felt the force of someone smacking into him again, sending him falling to the ground. He landed on his back and slid a foot across the ground before stopping.

"My aching back..." Kevin groaned as he began to sit up, quickly rubbing his hand on his back to sooth the pain. He turned his attention to the person who smacked into him, and his eyes widened when he spotted Lee Kanker pulling herself to her feet and dusting herself off. May and Marie quickly ran around the corner and skidded to a halt behind her, both of them a bit surprised to see Lee standing there empty handed.

"Dang it, Lee, you let my cutie pie get away!" Marie complained as she punched a locker in anger. Lee turned to Marie, a scowl on her face.

"Hey, I woulda had him if it wasn't for this chump getting in my way," Lee shot back as she stuck her thumb over at Kevin, who had finally managed to climb to his feet.

"Chump?" Kevin asked incredulously as a sneer slowly appeared on his face. He couldn't help but remember the Kankers laughing at his embarrassing situations, both the day before and on Monday, and so he could feel his anger at the Eds slowly turning into anger at the Kanker sisters. Lee turned back to Kevin and gave him a smug smile.

"That's right, pizza face, you're a chump," Lee taunted as she put her hands on her hips. "Now move out of the way before I give ya the lip lock," she threatened. Normally Kevin would've gladly stepped out of their way and let them continue their pursuit of Edd, but he wasn't about to let Lee get away with calling him a chump. Kevin's fists balled up and he took a step toward the Kankers, who all donned expressions of surprise.

"You're one to talk, chimp face," Kevin insulted, causing Lee's mouth to fall open. "When's the last time you waxed your upper lip, you trailer trash freak?" he asked, not being able to control himself at all. Lee's face twisted into a snarl as May and Marie barely contained themselves behind her, each of them about to burst out into laughter.

"You better take that back!" Lee shouted in anger as she took a step forward and brought her face inches from Kevin, as if daring him not to.

"I would take it back, but it's kind of hard to talk with your stinky breath choking me up," Kevin joked. As soon as he saw Lee lift her fist into the air, he regretted every word he had said. She smashed her fist into his face, causing him to stumble backwards and land on his rump. Before he could stand up to defend himself, Marie got behind him and grabbed his arms, bringing them behind his back and forcing him to his feet.

"Let go of me, you yellow teeth piece of-" Kevin started to say when Lee kicked him in his gut, causing him to groan in pain and cough a few times.

"This punk needs to learn some manners!" Lee commented in anger as she watched Kevin lean forward in agony.

"I say we give this guy a swirly in every toilet in the girl's bathroom!" Marie suggested before cackling evilly.

"No, I know something even better!" May chimed in, causing Marie and Lee to look over at her in disbelief.

"Oh yeah? Well what could be better than that?" Marie asked, almost sure that whatever May was going to suggest would be stupid.

"I say we stuff him in Ed's locker!" May exclaimed, causing Marie and Lee's expressions of doubt to twist into expressions of delight. Kevin looked up at May in surprise when he heard her words, which struck absolute fear into his heart. He knew that Ed was the most uncleanly person in the school, and his locker was the last place he wanted to be forced into.

"No way, I'm not getting anywhere near that thing!" Kevin cried as he tried to pull himself free of Marie's grip, although she refused to let go.

"I think we have a winner, girls!" Lee announced as she grinned at Kevin, who could only stare up at her in fear. May ran over and grabbed hold of one of Kevin's legs, while Lee grabbed hold of the other one. The Kankers began to laugh in glee as they carried Kevin up the hallway kicking and screaming toward Ed's locker. Kevin tried his best to rip himself free of their grasp, but he just couldn't manage to break free no matter how hard he tried. He watched in horror as they finally arrived at their destination; even though Ed's locker was tightly shut, he could see some brown, nasty substance seeping out of the bottom of the locker, as well as many insects buzzing around it.

"Get the lock, May!" Lee ordered as May let go of Kevin's other leg, Lee quickly grabbing hold of it so that Kevin couldn't make use of it.

"Please, I'm sorry, I didn't mean any of that stuff, alright?" Kevin stated in desperation as he watched May enter the combination to the locker, which she knew by heart.

"Too late for sweet talking now, hotcakes!" Marie stated as she grinned down at Kevin, who was still wriggling in her grip. May giggled in delight as she finally finished entering the combination, the lock sliding off with ease. She turned to Kevin and smirked at him before slowly pulling open the locker.

"Say hello to your new home!" May exclaimed before laughing as Kevin shuddered in disgust and terror. Ed's locker was jam-packed with rotten food, dead insects, and discarded candy wrappers, and some strange sludge-like substance was clinging to the walls in globs. He could even see a bunch of things crawling around inside of the locker, meaning that all the insects that were in there weren't completely dead. The Kankers relished the look of fear on Kevin's face for a few minutes longer, each of them amused by the fact that he was absolutely speechless.

"Enough standing around! We let him get a good look at the locker, but now it's time for him to take it for a test run!" Lee mocked as she began to pull Kevin toward the locker, Marie quickly helping her by pushing him toward it.

"Dang it, I said I was sorry!" Kevin cried as he felt himself being forced toward the the locker, which only looked more disgusting as he was brought closer and closer to it. "No, don't do it!" he begged as Lee got on one side of Kevin and May got on the other, each of them holding him up and off of the ground.

"On the count of three, we stuff this sorry loser in here and slam the door on him!" Lee explained as she and her sisters readied themselves to finally give Kevin his punishment.

"Stop it!" Kevin shouted as the Kankers began to rock him back and forth.

"One..." Lee said as Kevin continued to squirm in their grip. "Two..."

"Someone help!" Kevin called out as he squeezed his eyes shut in preparation for what was coming.

"Three!" Lee shouted as she and her sisters to rear Kevin back one last time before throwing all their force forward and sending him rocketing into the locker. Kevin felt his face slam into the back of the locker, and he felt something sticky and slimy explode all over his face. He could feel the slime and the rotten food clinging to his clothes as he began to turn himself around, desperate to escape the locker before the Kankers closed the door on him. Several horrible smells clogged up his nose as he forced his body around, and he could feel insects skittering up and down his legs. He finally flicked his eyes open as he turned to face the hallway, and the Kankers' grinning faces came into view.

"See you around, stinky!" Marie mocked as she slammed the locker shut in his face. He began to beat on it as he heard the sounds of May locking it back up, trapping him inside.

"You're a bunch of dorks!" Kevin cried as he continued to pound on the locker, which refused to budge against his blows. He could hear the Kankers' laughter echoing in the locker as they yucked it up outside in the hallway. He began to kick the locker in addition to his punches, hoping that he could punch it right off its hinges and escape. To his dismay, the gunk inside of Ed's locker acted as a sort of sealant, and helped to hold it closed.

"Come on, girls, let's go to the usual spot and hang out," Kevin heard Lee say as their laughter subsided. He heard them walk away from the locker, the sound of their feet hitting the clean floors of the school seeming to taunt him as he was left behind to suffer in the dark and dank locker.

"I'll get you for this!" Kevin screamed as he began to ram the locker door with his shoulder, the door shuddering in response. He had to escape, he just had to. He couldn't stay in this locker for the rest of the period, he would go insane! He could feel the grime sticking and sliding around on his clothes, which just barely protected his body from having to touch it. He stopped his assault on the locker door and jumped a little when he felt something skitter across his face. He brought his hand up to his face and squashed the bug, but gasped when he realized that his hand had been covered in the brown gunk that was sticking to the locker walls; he had smeared it all over his cheek! He could feel rage washing over him once again, and he renewed his efforts to escape. He pounded on the locker door with monster truck force, and it groaned and squeaked under his assault. Despite his relentless attacks, the locker door refused to cave.

"I can't believe this..." Kevin groaned as he fell against the back of the locker and sighed. He tried his best to ignore the nastiness of the locker, and he resigned himself to just standing there, waiting for someone to come and free him. The meager light from the slits at the top of the locker provided him with something to look at, but every once in a while something would drip down from above it or something would crawl across it, obscuring the light and leaving him in the pitch black. He couldn't tell if it was merely seconds or minutes passing by as he stood trapped in the sickening locker. It felt like time was moving slow and fast at the same time. He sighed before punching the locker door a few times, trying to find something to do while he waited for rescue.

The sound of the bell sounding off made him jump up and strike his head on the top of the locker, leaving a dent and causing him to hiss in pain and rub the top of his head. Kevin could hear the stamping of feet and people chatting outside as they headed to their next class, and this prompted Kevin to begin beating on the locker once again. "Hey, can anyone out there hear me?" he called out before punching the locker few times, hoping that someone would see or hear the many punches he was landing on the dirty metal of the locker or his calls for help. "Someone help me already!" he shouted before kneeing the locker door hard.

"Oh my, I think someone's in your locker, Ed!" he heard Edd say from over the chatter of the other students. A scowl quickly appeared on Kevin's face; he certainly didn't want to see any of the Eds again, especially not Edd since he was the one who got him in hot water with the Kanker sisters in the first place.

"Oh boy, maybe gnomes have made my locker into their home and they want to give me pots of jewels!" Ed declared as he heard a trio of footsteps moving around outside of the locker.

"Get me out of here already!" Kevin shouted before hitting the locker door a few more times.

"Ed, it's your locker, so you better enter your combination so that this poor fellow can get out," Edd recommended.

"Okey dokey!" Ed said. Kevin heard the lock on the locker begin to rattle around, and he readied himself. It was obvious the Eds didn't know it was him who was in the locker, and he was going to give them a nice big surprise when they opened it. He was going to grab Edd and give him what he deserved as soon as he saw the light of the hallway spill into the locker

"Wait a second here!" Eddy's voice suddenly rung out. The sound of Ed unlocking the locker stopped, much to Kevin's dismay. "We aren't letting this guy out unless he gives us a quarter!" he stated, causing Kevin to growl in anger. It was just like Eddy to want money before helping anyone, and Kevin wasn't about to pay to get out, no matter how desperate he was to escape.

"Eddy, we don't have time for this!" Edd protested. "Ed's locker is in horrible condition, and we can't let whoever is trapped in there stay for any longer than they have to!" he explained. There was a moment of silence before someone spoke up again.

"Alright, whatever, just let the guy out," Eddy muttered, obviously displeased that he wouldn't be able to make a financial gain off of the situation. Kevin grinned evilly when he heard Ed grab the lock and begin fiddling with it again. His body tensed up when he heard the lock come off. He was ready.

"Sweet freedom!" Ed declared happily as he swung open his locker door. Ed's smile turned upside down we saw the red and filthy face of Kevin inside of his locker instead of the appreciative face of someone he just saved. "It's Kevin!" he shouted before falling backwards in surprise.

"What's he doing in your locker?" Eddy questioned as he backed away, praying that he wouldn't be the target of Kevin's rage.

"Oh lord..." Edd whispered in fear when he realized that Kevin was looking right at him.

"Come here you dweeb!" Kevin cried as he jumped out of the locker and landed right in front of Edd, who yelped in surprise.

"Wait, I didn't-" Edd began to say, but was cut off when Kevin grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him up into the air. He charged forward and slammed Edd up against the row of lockers opposite Ed's locker, and slid Edd upward against the lockers. Edd struggled to breathe as he wrapped his hands around Kevin's arms, trying to lift himself upwards to release his throat from the tightness of Kevin's vice grip.

"You're gonna pay!" Kevin declared as he tightened his grip on Edd's collar, causing Edd to stop his struggle and just stare down at Kevin in fear, sweat running down his head.

"Please, just listen to me for just a moment!" Edd cried as he held onto Kevin's arms for dear life. "I don't know you're angry with me, but I swear it wasn't my fault!" he added, causing Kevin to bring Edd down a little and bring his face close to Edd's.

"Not your fault, huh?" Kevin asked as his scowl deepened. "Unfortunately for you, I'm the judge, the jury, and the executioner, and I say that it _was_ your fault that those ugly harpies stuffed me into that dump of a locker!" he seethed before shaking Edd harshly, causing Edd to whimper in fear.

"I-I'm sorry that the Kankers hurt you, but I still don't understand why you're angry at me," Edd whispered in a small voice. Kevin began to grind his teeth together. He didn't understand why he was angry at him? This was unreal! This dork knew exactly why he was ticked off, and he was just playing mind games with him to try and sneak his way out of his beating.

"I should've known a little scumbag nerd like you would try to weasel your way out of facing the music!" Kevin shouted in Edd's face, causing him to shrink away and try to duck his head inside of his shirt. "But your stupid little tricks aren't gonna work on me; I'm gonna beat you until my fists go numb!" he screamed before raising his fist in the air.

"Have mercy!" Edd cried as he turned his face away and shut his eyes in preparation for the pain that was surely about to rain down on him.

"Kevin!" a voice shouted from down the hallway, causing Kevin to halt his assault on the scared and shivering boy he held up against the lockers. Kevin turned his head and he spotted Nazz standing down the hallway, who had a fearful expression plastered on her face, her notebook pulled tightly to her chest. He stared over at her for a few moments, as if his brain was still processing the fact that she was actually standing right there. When something inside of him finally clicked, his grip on Edd's collar tightened. This just wasn't fair to him; he had hoped that Nazz wouldn't be around while he dished out sweet justice to Edd, but it seemed that fate just wasn't in his favor today. In fact, this entire week had basically been the Eds doing crap to him while he had to stand there and take it just to please Nazz.

"Please... let me go... I'm sorry..." Edd whimpered out, causing Kevin to look at him from the corner of his eye.

"Don't hurt him!" Nazz called out, causing Kevin to look back at her. He didn't know what to do. He wanted so badly to pound Edd's head into mush, but he was torn between obeying Nazz or obeying his anger. He could feel all the fury, all the rage broiling right beneath the surface of his skin. He felt like he would burst at the seams if he held it in any longer. Nazz took a step toward him and reached out toward him, hoping to somehow stop him from harming Edd. Kevin lowered his head and stared at the floor, his vision beginning to blur as rage flowed throughout every vein in his entire body. He suddenly lifted back up his face and stared Edd straight in the eyes.

"Apology accepted, dork!" Kevin exclaimed before dropping him and dashing off down the hallway.

"Kevin, wait!" Nazz called after him as he ran by her in a blur. He had to get away from the Eds before he exploded and beat the snot out of them. He couldn't disappoint Nazz, he just couldn't do it. He knew that if he had listened to her and waited he would've probably ended up yelling at her, or even worse, hurting her physically. He had to get to his next class and just shut out the world until he got home. Yes, home was truly the only safe haven for him at this point. At his house, he could finally release the pent up rage from within him so that he could once again become the calm and cool Kevin that everyone knew and loved.

* * *

Kevin stomped into his kitchen, his face red with rage and his teeth bared. He had to find a way to release his rage. He just had to. His eyes scanned the kitchen around him, which his parents had worked so hard to make clean and tidy. He knew he would regret what he was about to do, but he didn't care. He had to take out his anger in some fashion, and he was about to do just that. His eyes locked onto a cookie jar that sat on the counter. He knew where he was going to start. He ran over to the counter and snatched the cookie jar up before turning around and lifting it above his head. He brought his arms downward and threw the cookie jar with all his might at the floor. It shattered into millions of pieces as shards of glass and cookie chunks flew in every direction, sprinkling the floor with a mixture of twinkling light and brown crumbs.

He began to pant heavily, but he could tell that this was just the beginning of his anger; it still sloshed around inside of him, and wanted, no, demanded to escape somehow. He turned to the kitchen table and marched over to it, rage spinning around in his head and blinding his senses. He grabbed the kitchen chairs that were lined up at the sides of the table and flipped them over one by one before grabbing hold of the table itself and tossing it aside, savoring the sound of wood clattering off of the tiling of his kitchen. Wanting to sate his fury further, he ran over to the sink, which had many clean plates stacked neatly beside it. He grabbed an entire pile of plates and whirled around, letting them fly across the kitchen and shatter on the kitchen walls and the floor. Every plate that broke was like music to his ears, and he could feel the anger slowly flowing out of him and into the air around him.

He began to walk out of the room, punching the refrigerator harshly on his way out, causing it to rock back and forth, before heading toward the bathroom. Although he had managed to rid himself of some of his anger, he could still hear the laughter of the Kanker sisters echoing in his head, as well as the pitiful sounds of Edd begging for mercy. He had to annihilate these images of anger and humiliation. He just had to, else he risked exploding at school, and that was something he wanted to avoid at all costs. He barged into the bathroom and instantly knocked every cleaning product off of the sink and onto the floor, a can of shaving cream shooting its contents across the room as he did so. He spotted his dad's red and black electric razor sitting on the sink, and he quickly ripped its long black cord out of a socket that was next to the sink and threw it across the bathroom, the razor landing in the bathtub and bouncing around a few times. He then lifted his fist in preparation to punch the mirror until it cracked, but his eyes became fixated on his face, which was curled up into an feral snarl. He began to breathe heavily as he studied every feature of his face, from his bared teeth to his wild eyes.

Not wanting to face his image any longer, Kevin dashed out of the bathroom and ran into his room, shutting the door harshly behind him. He threw himself onto his bed, grabbed his pillow, and released a rage-filled scream into it; after a full ten seconds of screaming, he brought the pillow away from his face and punched his headboard before flipping over on his bed and staring up at the ceiling. He panted heavily as his mind slowly began to regain control of his body. He had made a mistake by tearing his house apart; he knew his parents would ground him for life when they got home. Even now that his brain was actually functioning, however, he knew he had to do what he had done. He had no choice. If it wasn't his house, it would've been the Eds, and he just couldn't disappoint Nazz. He couldn't. Especially not now, when it seemed like she had put so much of her hope and trust into him. He suddenly sat up and slid off the side of his bed before heading over to his desk. He pulled back the chair quickly and sat down before snatching up his pencil. He began to scribble fast and hard on the white sheet of paper in front of him, his words looking like chicken-scratch compared to his work on the other pages.

Snap.

The lead flew off of the pencil from Kevin bearing down too hard, and his face scrunched up in renewed anger. Without thinking too much, he snapped the pencil in half, threw it into his wastebasket, and quickly grabbed another from his drawer before going back to his writing. One more day. That's all that was left. All he had to do was make it through tomorrow, and he would finally be free to once again pound the Eds into mulch whenever they screwed with him. A cruel smile slowly curled up on his face as he thought about how he would exact his revenge upon the Eds over the weekend. It was going to be glorious. A thought suddenly occurred to him as he thought about revenge. He suddenly realized that he wouldn't have to wait until the weekend to start. No, he had an idea of how he could get away with hurting the Eds tomorrow without disappointing Nazz. Or so he hoped.

* * *

**FRIDAY**

Kevin walked down the hallway of his house slowly, a melancholy air around him. He was a little ticked off that he had to ride the bus to school today, but he wasn't about to go and disappoint his parents. After they had come home and found their house in shambles, they had grounded Kevin for a month and taken away his most prized possession: his bike. Although angry at his grounding, Kevin was at least happy that he now had a reason to stay locked up in his house and away from the Eds. He just honestly couldn't take them anymore. Luckily for him, he was finally going to get those punks today. Yes, they would finally get theirs for messing with him, and he had a legal and fun way to do it. Kevin walked through his living room, thoughts of revenge and the Eds suffering swirling around in his head. He stopped at his front door when he felt an eerie feeling in the air around him, a feeling strong enough to make the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He whirled around and scanned his living room quickly, but there was nothing of interest. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. It felt like millions of eyes were upon him, but he saw no one in his house, and his parents weren't home. He sighed and chalked it up to letting his anger get the better of him before turning to his door. He grabbed the doorknob, opened the door, and quickly exited his house, shutting the door lightly behind him.

* * *

Kevin blew a whistle that was hanging around his neck, and the other students who were in gym with him quickly lined up in the center of the gym in front of him. He released the whistle and it dangled loosely around his neck; he had on a grey sweat shirt, grey slacks, and running shoes, as well as his signature red hat. His eyes meandered down the line of boys in front of him, pausing for a moment on each of them. Jonny was on one end of the line, and he had on a green t-shirt a pair of ripped white gym shorts, a pair of brown ear coverings, and a pair of sandals, his buddy Plank tucked securely under his arm. Rolf was to the right of Jonny, and he had on a white shirt, a pair of green shorts that were pulled up above his belly, and a pair of white sneakers. Next in line was Ed, and he had on a stained, worn white shirt, a pair of dirty blue shorts, and a pair of white shoes. Next to Ed was Edd, and he had on a neatly pressed white t-shirt, a pair of blue shorts with yellow nucleus symbols adorning them, and a pair of black and white shoes. On the very end of the line was Eddy, who was wearing a white t-shirt with a yellow basketball jersey over top of it with a purple number sixty-two on the front, a pair of green Hawaiian patterned shorts, and black running shoes.

"I wonder what we're gonna do today, Plank," Jonny said down to Plank as Kevin finished scanning over the line of kids. Kevin lifted a clipboard up that he was holding and looked down at it. He quickly checked off the boxes that were beside each student's name, indicating that everyone was present for gym class. His eyes then wandered down to the bottom of the sheet. The coach had agreed to the activity that Kevin had requested for the day, and his name was signed next to the name of the activity. He looked up from the clipboard and at the line of boys, clearing his throat to get their attention.

"Alright, so we were supposed to run the track for today," Kevin stated, illiciting a groan out of Eddy and an excited smile out of Jonny. "Luckily for us, I managed to get the coach to agree to a different activity," he explained, causing all the boys to perk up.

"And what activity did coach's assistant Kevin request for us to partake in today?" Rolf asked, curious to find out what activity would be good enough for the coach to allow a change of activity.

"I'm glad you asked, Rolf," Kevin answered as he reached behind his back. "Today we're going to play a little game of..." he began as a sinister smile suddenly spread across his face. The Eds all donned confused expressions when they realized that Kevin's eyes were locked onto them. "Dodgeball," he stated as he brought a bright red ball out from around his back and held it up for all to see.

"Oh boy, me and Plank love dodgeball!" Jonny exclaimed as he jumped up and down in excitement, Rolf nodding his head in approval from beside the bald-headed boy. Ed seemed excited as well, while Eddy seemed ambivalent, not knowing whether he should be happy about this or not. Edd, however, felt his legs become weak, and a nervous expression appeared on his face.

"Now we're gonna get into teams of three and-" Kevin began to say, but was interrupted when Edd spoke up in a shaky voice.

"Excuse me, Kevin," Edd stated, causing Kevin to stop talking and look over at him. "Is there some other activity I could take part in instead?" he asked. Kevin stared at the pale and trembling boy, relishing every ounce of fear he could detect emanating from him.

"Well..." Kevin began as he looked around the gym. The door to the girls locker room suddenly swung open as Nazz strutted out, a bunch of hula hoops hanging from her hands. Her hair was done up in a ponytail and she had on a white headband, a white tank top, purple gym shorts, and white running shoes with the socks pulled up to her knees. Right behind her were the Kanker sisters, who all looked bored out of their minds. May had on a white t-shirt with an anchor on the front, purple gym shorts, and black shoes. Marie had on grey t-shirt that was torn at the sleeves and bottom, green shorts, and a pair of black shoes. Lee had her hair pulled up with a scrunchie and had on a white t-shirt, white gym shorts, and green shoes. A smug expression appeared on Kevin's face as he looked over at the girls, who stopped on the other side of the gym. "Sure thing, Double D," Kevin began as he looked back over at him. "If you don't want to play dodgeball, you can always go hula hoop with Nazz and the Kankers," he offered, causing Edd to gulp and look over at the four girls, obviously not wanting to do that either.

"Well, I-I... maybe I'll..." Edd stuttered as he looked back and forth between the red dodgeball that Kevin still had in his hand and the four girls. "Can't I just sit out? Or maybe go run the track?" Edd asked as he rubbed his hands together nervously.

"No can do, either you do the assigned activity or I give you an F for the day," Kevin responded, causing Edd's eyes to widen.

"An F?" Edd squeaked out in fear.

"That's right, now stop your bellyaching and play some dodgeball with us," Kevin answered as he tucked the dodgeball securely under his arm.

"Good luck with getting sockhead to play, every time he even hears the word dodgeball he starts shaking in his boots," Eddy spoke up before snickering.

"Good luck with nothing, shorty, he's gonna play and he's gonna like it," Kevin snapped back, causing Eddy to stop laughing and glare at him.

"Come on, Double D, dodgeball is fun!" Ed exclaimed as he elbowed Edd in the arm.

"You know I have a history with this game, Ed..." Edd whispered back as he rubbed his arm.

"Yeah, a history of wetting your pants," Eddy joked before chuckling, Edd staring down at Eddy with a annoyed expression. Kevin blew his whistle again, startling the boys; they quickly stood at attention once again, although Edd couldn't stop himself from shaking a little.

"Now that that's settled, it's time to pick teams..." Kevin began as he once again smiled strangely at the line of boys.

"Alright, girls, who's ready to have some fun with these hula hoops?" Nazz asked as she held up her arms, which had hula hoops hanging off of them. The Kankers all had deadpan expressions on their faces as they stared at the perky girl in front of them.

"Hula hoops are so boring..." May moaned as she let her arms dangle lifelessly in front of her.

"Yeah, why can't we do something fun for once!" Marie complained before crossing her arms. "It's always a stupid activity like badminton or jumping jacks!" she added as Nazz lowered her arms, her mood dampening a little.

"How about we forget this loopty-loop crap and go play dodgeball with the boys, huh?" Lee asked as she pointed over at Kevin and the others.

"Dodgeball?" Nazz inquired as she looked behind her and over at the group of boys.

"Alright, the teams are-" Kevin began, but was once again interrupted.

"Hey, aren't we gonna pick team captains?" Jonny asked as he raised an eyebrow at Kevin.

"Don't sweat it, Jonny, I've already saved all the trouble of picking teams by picking them myself," Kevin answered, causing Eddy to slit his eyes at Kevin.

"Oh boy, I think I know the teams already..." Eddy muttered loud enough for only Ed and Edd to hear, both of them also knowing exactly what Kevin was going to say.

"It's me, Jonny, and Rolf on one team and the Eds on the other," Kevin stated, the teams surprising no one.

"That's not fair!" Eddy declared as he took a step out of the line. "You're just putting us all on one team because you hate us!" he exclaimed as he pointed an accusing finger at Kevin, who maintained his smug expression.

"Think what you want, dorky, but that's how it's gonna be!" Kevin answered as he dribbled the dodgeball off of the clean gym floors. "Now both teams line up on opposite sides of the gym!" he ordered. Rolf and Jonny quickly ran over to Kevin's side, while the Eds all backed up into the other side of the gym.

"Oh lord, I think I'm going to be ill..." Edd said faintly as he stood shaking in between Ed and Eddy. Ed had a confused expression on his face, while Eddy had a scowl on his. Kevin walked up to the center line and placed the dodgeball he had on it before taking a step back.

"Everyone sit tight, I'm gonna go grab two more dodgeballs," Kevin announced before dashing over to a rack of sports equipment that was in the corner of the gym. He sat his clipboard down on the rack and then grabbed two more dodgeballs before turning away from the rack and strolling back toward the line.

"Well, can we play with them or not?" Lee asked, a little peeved that Nazz was taking so long to answer her. Nazz continued to stare over at the boys, her expression slowly turning sour. She knew what Kevin was doing, but she also knew that she really couldn't do anything about it. After all, dodgeball was a perfectly fine activity for the boys, and she knew that Kevin must've gotten permission to play it from the coach. Still, it didn't mean that she had to be happy about what he was doing.

"What's her problem?" Marie asked as she looked over at Lee.

"Probably checking out her boyfriend, Kevin," Lee answered, causing her and Marie to burst out into laughter.

"What's so funny?" May asked as she looked over at her laughing sisters. "I wanna laugh too!" Marie and Lee's laughter subsided and they looked over at May with slight smiles.

"We were just talking about how your face looks like a truck backed over it!" Marie quipped, causing her and Lee to burst into laughter again. May huffed angrily and crossed her arms.

Kevin carefully placed a dodgeball to the left of the center dodgeball, and then placed another one to the right of the center one. He then backed away and got in between Rolf and Jonny, who were both eager to start. The two lines of boys stared across the gym at each other, one group excited about what was coming and the other group dreading it. "Alright, when I blow the whistle we start!" Kevin announced loudly as he grabbed hold of the whistle that was dangling around his neck.

"Switch with me, Double D," Eddy whispered as he tugged on Edd's sleeve.

"W-why?" Edd asked in a panic, thinking that Eddy was setting him up to go down first.

"Because I want to be across from Kevin," he answered quickly. "I'm gonna give that jerk a dodgeball to the face." Edd looked over at the group of boys and saw that he would be across from Jonny if he switched with Eddy.

"Very well, let's switch," Edd finally replied, knowing that he would rather be hit by Jonny than by Kevin. Edd and Eddy quickly switched positions, much to Kevin's delight. He would finally get the chance to hurt Eddy, and he was going to make sure that Eddy got a gob full of dodgeball as soon as the round started. Kevin lifted the whistle to his lips and held it a few centimeters away, raising the tension among the boys.

"Wait, time out!" Ed suddenly called out, causing everyone to straighten up and look at him.

"What is it?" Kevin asked as he lowered his whistle, although he was certain Ed wasn't going to say anything of value.

"The teams are uneven!" Ed declared as he pointed at Jonny, who shot Ed a confused look.

"The teams are even, nimrod, learn to count!" Kevin answered snidely as he began to raise the whistle back to his lips.

"No wait, Ed is right!" Jonny suddenly said as he looked over at Kevin, who turned to Jonny in bewilderment. Jonny held up Plank, and Kevin rolled his eyes.

"Oh right, how could I forget about Plank," Kevin said sarcastically before sighing. "Plank, go sit on the sidelines and watch," he ordered.

"Make sure to cheer me on, buddy!" Jonny said as he ran over to the side of the gym and sat Plank down. He quickly ran back over to Kevin and Rolf and got back in line.

"Now is that all, or does someone else want to stall this game some more?" Kevin asked as he looked around at everyone. No one answered in the affirmative, so Kevin sighed and lifted his whistle back to his lips. Ed steeled himself and got ready to dash for the ball in front of him, while Rolf got into a running position, hoping to beat Ed to the ball. Edd stood shaking and trembling, sweat beginning to form on his brow as he stared across the way at Jonny, who was crouched down and ready to make a run for the dodgeball that was in between them. Eddy opened and closed his hands, prepping himself to snatch up the ball and beam it at Kevin; Kevin held the whistle firmly in his hand, his eyes locked with Eddy's. Nazz, May, Marie, and Lee all watched silently from the side of the gym, Nazz forgetting all about the hula hoops and wanting to see what happened just as much as the Kanker sisters did.

"This is not good..." Edd whispered meekly as he watched Kevin press the whistle against his lips. Kevin inhaled deeply and then blew the whistle hard, its sound echoing in the gym as he, Eddy, Rolf, Ed, and Jonny all launched themselves toward the three balls in the center of the gym; Edd couldn't find the strength to move at all, and instead watched helplessly as Jonny ran toward the ball like a maniac. Ed was the first to reach the ball between he and Rolf, and he quickly snatched it up. Rolf skidded to a halt and tried to reverse course to reach a better dodging position, but Ed quickly tossed the ball at him with all his might, striking Rolf right in the chest and sending him flying backward. He sailed all the way across the gym and into the wall, sticking to it like old gum as the dodgeball fell to the floor and bounced a few times.

"Rolf cannot feel his ribs..." Rolf groaned before gravity did it's work and peeled him off of the wall, causing him to fall to the floor.

"Come on, Double D, you aren't even trying!" Jonny exclaimed as he reached the dodgeball in between he and Edd. He picked it up and held it to his chest as he stared at the trembling boy that stood across from him.

"I beg of you to throw it at someone else, Jonny!" Edd said as he shrunk away from Jonny.

"But you're on the enemy team, I've gotta throw it at you!" Jonny answered as he prepared to throw it at Edd.

"Don't do it!" Edd pleaded as he felt himself about to collapse from fear. "The memories are coming back! Oh lord, I can feel the hard rubber of the dodgeballs bruising my skin all over again!" he shrieked, although Jonny paid him no mind.

"Think fast, Double D!" Jonny cried out as he tossed the ball weakly, not wanting to hurt the fragile and scared boy more than he had to. Edd let out a high-pitched shriek of terror as the ball bounced softly off of his left arm and fell to the floor.

"The agony!" Edd yelped as he fell backwards and curled up in the fetal position on the gym floor. Jonny chucked nervously as he heard the Kanker sisters burst out into gut-busting laughter at the sight of Edd cowering on the floor.

"Want me to change your diaper, Double D?" Marie called out in between laughs as Edd shivered on the gym floor, his arms wrapped around his sides.

"I ain't gonna let him beat me," Eddy seethed to himself as he pumped his legs faster and faster, hoping to beat Kevin to the ball. Both of them were an equal distance from the ball and closing in rapidly, and Eddy feared that Kevin might beat him to it by mere nanoseconds. As soon as he came within a few feet of the ball, Eddy dived forward and stuck his arms out, hoping to grab the ball and pull it out of Kevin's reach. Eddy slid across the gym floor and toward the ball, and his face scrunched up in concentration as his fingers came closer and closer to the ball. To his horror, he stopped short just centimeters from the ball, his curled fingers unable to touch it. "Uh oh..." he uttered as he saw a pair of hands snatch up the ball that he was so close to claiming. He slowly lifted his head up and Kevin's face came into view, a huge maniacal smile spread across it.

"Ready to eat dodgeball for lunch, dorky?" Kevin asked humorously as he lifted the dodgeball up above his head. Eddy stared up in fear at Kevin, knowing that he wasn't going to hold back. Eddy got on his hands and knees, but knew that he still wouldn't be able to dodge Kevin's attack from this distance even if he tried.

"C-Come on, Kevin, chill out," Eddy stuttered, although he knew it was probably for naught.

"No, I think you need to chill out," Kevin answered as his smile grew wider. "In fact, I think a nice long dodgeball-coma will be just the thing to help you relax a little," he joked as his grip on the dodgeball tightened, his muscles tensing up in preparation to bring the ball down on Eddy's face. This was it: the moment he had been waiting for. He was finally going to make Eddy pay for making a fool out of him this week, and he would make sure to get Ed and Edd as soon as he was done with this twerp. Eddy was desperate; he didn't want to get hit by Kevin, and he was actually a little scared that Kevin really would put him into a coma with the dodgeball. So Eddy did the only logical thing he could do in such a position and quickly leaped forward from his prone position and toward Kevin's midsection. "Whoa!" Kevin exclaimed as Eddy's hands caught on the waistband of his slacks. Eddy fell downward, yanking Kevin's slacks from their safe and secure position around his waist all the way down to his feet.

Kevin stood there in shock before finally realizing the position he was in: he was standing there, hands raised in the air, with his slacks around his ankles and everybody in the gym watching him. There was a moment of silence in the gym as everyone took in the sight of a pantsless Kevin, nobody knowing how to react at first. Naturally, the Kankers were the first to show any sort of response to the sight.

"I can see Kevin's undies!" May proclaimed as she jabbed a finger at Kevin, whose expression of triumph was now one of complete and utter shame. The Kankers began laughing once again, the sound of their laughter slowly snapping everyone else out of their trances. The room suddenly erupted with noise as everyone joined the Kankers in laughing at Kevin's predicament. Kevin stood there in embarrassment as his face turned redder and redder, his eyes looking around at everyone in the gym. Literally everyone was laughing at him: Jonny, Rolf, Ed, Edd, Eddy, and the Kanker sisters all yucked it up, all of them finding it hilarious. But that wasn't the worst of it: his expression of shame suddenly twisted into one of horror when he saw that Nazz was laughing at him too! He couldn't take it anymore: this was truly the very last straw. He dropped the dodgeball to the ground and reached down toward his slacks, ignoring the grating laughter of everyone else in the room. He pulled his slacks up to his waist and adjusted them to the right position before staring down in anger at Eddy, who was hitting the floor with his fist as he laughed.

"Laugh it up while you can..." Kevin muttered, although no one could hear him over all the laughter. "Cause now it's my turn to laugh..." he seethed as he lifted his foot up.

"Ouch!" Eddy yelped in surprise as Kevin stomped on his hand. Everyone suddenly stopped laughing at the sound of Eddy's pain and stared in shock at him and Kevin.

"Why aren't you laughing anymore, Eddy?" Kevin asked as he twisted his foot back and forth on top of Eddy's hand, causing him to hiss with pain. "Come on, I want to hear that signature Eddy laugh that we all love!" he shouted as he pressed his foot down harder and harder.

"Stop it, you're hurting him!" Edd called out as he climbed to his feet, his earlier laughter curing him of his dodgeball-induced fright.

"Shut your trap, Double Dweeb!" Kevin screamed as his face turned red with anger, Edd shrinking away from the furious jock. Eddy finally managed to yank his hand free from underneath Kevin's foot, and he held it in agony. There was a deep and pulsating impression on his hand in the shape of the bottom of Kevin's foot.

"You jerk!" Eddy cried as he rubbed his hand.

"I'm not a jerk!" Kevin suddenly yelled as his fists balled up.

"Calm down, angrier-than-a-rooster Kevin, Rolf is sure the Ed-boy only did it in jest!" Rolf declared as he took a step toward Kevin.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Kevin shot back in anger. "I'm done with calming down!" he announced as he looked around at all the bewildered faces in the gym. "I'm going to teach these dorks a lesson in pain, and no one here is going to stop me from doing it this time!" he shouted before turning to Eddy and raising his fist into the air.

"Hit Ed first!" Eddy said out of fear as he crawled backwards away from Kevin, who showed no intention of stopping.

"That's enough, Kevin!" Nazz suddenly yelled as she came running across the gym and toward Eddy and Kevin.

"Stay away, Nazz!" Kevin warned, causing her to stop a few feet away from the two of them.

"You're overreacting, you just need to walk away and-"

"I'm not walking away this time!" Kevin shot back as he tightened his fists. "I just can't take these losers anymore! They need to get theirs and I'm not stopping this time!" he shouted before turning back to Eddy, who gazed up at him fearfully. "Now eat fist, dork!" he screamed as he took a step toward Eddy, ready to make mince meat out of him.

"Stop it!" Nazz cried before running forward and grabbing hold of Kevin's arm.

"Let go of me!" Kevin screamed before ripping his arm away from Nazz. What he did next even he couldn't believe: he pulled his arm back and backhanded Nazz across the face, sending her spiraling to the ground.

"Holy crap!" Jonny called out as he threw his arms in the air in surprise. As soon as Kevin realized what he had did, his anger completely disappeared and was replaced by a mixture of shame and horror. With the sounds of everyone whispering and gasping in the background, Kevin stared down at Nazz, who slowly pushed herself off of the ground. She turned her head toward Kevin and stared up at him, and Kevin's mouth dropped open. Tears were streaming down her face, and he could see a bright red mark on her cheek where he had struck her. His worst fear had finally been realized: his pent up anger had finally caused him to hurt the only girl who seemed to really care about him. He had extinguished the light of his life, and there was no going back now.

"I didn't know that punk had it in him..." Lee whispered to her sisters, who were both staring over at Kevin in surprise.

"He hit Nazz, Double D..." Ed whispered in shock to Edd, who had his hands cupped over his mouth in horror.

"How could you?" Eddy asked incredulously as he pushed himself off of the ground and got to his feet.

"I... I didn't... I didn't mean..." Kevin sputtered out, although his eyes were still locked onto Nazz's tearful and hurt face. "Please I... I take it back... I... don't..." he stuttered as he began to back away from the injured girl, his brain not being able to process what he had done or what he was seeing. "It was an accident, I didn't mean to do it..." he added faintly, although he knew it was too late. Nothing he could say could change what he had just done to Nazz, and he knew that nothing he could say would be good enough for any of the people who were currently staring at him in horror. "Nazz, please, you know I didn't mean to do it!" Kevin cried as he began to move toward Nazz, his arm outstretched toward her. Rolf suddenly stepped in between him and Nazz, a hard expression on his face.

"Rolf cannot allow you to go anywhere near her," Rolf said solemnly as he stared down at Kevin, who stared up at Rolf in confusion.

"But Rolf, I-"

"Rolf said to stay back!" Rolf shouted before shoving Kevin hard, causing him to stumble backwards.

"No... please..." Kevin said as his voice began to shake. Jonny suddenly joined Rolf at his side, his expression twisted into a scowl. The Eds soon joined Rolf at his other side, and the five of them formed a human barrier between Kevin and Nazz. Kevin stared in disbelief at the boys, his eyes pleading with them to understand. It was clear, however, that there would be no understanding for what he had done to Nazz. There was a moment of silence before someone finally spoke up.

"You should leave, Kevin," Eddy suggested, knowing that he wouldn't be able to stop himself or the others from hurting Kevin in reprisal if he stuck around too much longer.

"I can't... I don't..." Kevin sputtered as he began to back away from them. His eyes left the line of boys and he looked over at the Kanker sisters, who all smiled at him cruelly. This all felt like a sick joke to Kevin, but he knew it was no joke. He had become the bad guy. He had become the one who everyone was against now. The Eds, who had made his life a living hell all week, were now in the right while he was in the wrong. He suddenly felt something spark deep within him, and he slowly felt his entire body begin to heat up. It started in his trembling fists and slowly spread through out his body, every fiber of his being lighting up with a burning fury, the likes of which he had never felt before. It was all the Eds' fault that this was happening. If it wasn't for them, his life would be perfect. But once again they had found a way to make him miserable, more miserable than ever before. And he just could not bottle it in any longer.

"I said to-" Eddy began, but was cut off when Kevin suddenly stomped his foot down on the gym floor.

"I can't take this anymore!" Kevin cried before twisting around and rushing toward the gym doors. He had to escape the school and run to his house, his safe haven, his castle, his fortress. There he could finally release this pent up rage before he hurt someone again. As he pushed open the double doors of the gym and went running up the hallway, images of Nazz flashed in his head. He could see her smiling face trying to comfort him, trying to tell him it was all better. And then he could see his hand punching the image, shattering it and replacing it with an image of Nazz on the ground, crying her eyes out and pleading with him to stop the madness. He felt tears trying to force their way out of his eyes, but he fought them back. Everyone hated him now, even Nazz. He didn't know what he was going to in the future now that everyone hated him, but he knew what he was going to do when he got home. And boy did he feel bad for whatever inanimate object got in his way when he did get home.

* * *

Kevin slammed the door behind him and then whirled around to face the interior of his house, which was well lit from sunlight that streamed through every window. His eyes moved over the immaculate living room that laid before him, his chest rising rapidly as his breathing became faster and harsher. He didn't want to do it, but he had no choice. If he didn't release his anger now, he was going to hurt someone again. Even so, he knew after what he did to Nazz, the other kids would never want to see him again; but in his anger, he felt that the feeling was mutual. He didn't need to see any of them again. All they did was cause him pain and suffering, and they were the ones who led to him having to release his anger in the most strange of ways. His house would once again take the place of everyone he hated. He took a step into his house and his fists balled up; he was ready to release his burning rage now.

"Screw this stupid neighborhood!" Kevin screamed in fury as he grabbed his couch and flipped it over, the back of it crashing into the floor. He turned to an easy chair that was beside the couch and kicked it, flipping it on its back as well. His eyes locked onto several picture frames that lined the walls, the faces of his parents as well as his own seeming to taunt him with their happy and content stares. He ran over to the line of picture frames and began punching them, shattering the glass that was within them and tearing the pictures out. He ripped up every picture he snatched, wanting to be rid of the happy memories, which seemed so distant and far compared to the pain-filled memories of today.

Moving on from the living room, Kevin scrambled into the kitchen, wanting to find new things to take his rage out on. As he walked by his fridge, he knocked every single magnet that was stuck to the front of it off with one swipe of his arm, all of the multicolored magnets clattering on the floor one after another. He turned to the kitchen table and chairs, which he had flipped over just the other day. Unable to contain his anger, he marched over to them, wanting to once again take his rage out on them. He grabbed one of the kitchen chairs and lifted it over his head, a feral snarl forming on his face as he brought it back down on the kitchen table. The chair exploded as it hit the table, its wooden pieces raining down all over the room like giant pieces of hail. Kevin was left with two chair legs in his hand, and he quickly tossed them at his back door, hoping to hear the glorious sound of glass shattering.

Unfortunately for him, the chair legs simply bounced off of the glass and clattered onto the floor, causing him to grit his teeth in anger. He turned to the kitchen table and began to pound on it, his fists leaving harsh imprints in the wood. After a merciless minute of pounding on the table, he lifted both of his fists into the air and brought them down, snapping it in half. He panted heavily as he stared down at the jagged line that separated the two halves of the table, wanting to catch his breath for a moment before continuing on his rampage.

Every object he destroyed and every piece of furniture he broke seemed to literally suck the anger out of him, as if it was some sort of system of transfer that only God could understand. Whatever it was, Kevin didn't care, as his anger slowly began to boil back up to the surface. He dashed out of the kitchen and toward his room, hoping to find something in there to destroy next. He kicked open the door to his room and marched inside, hoping to quickly locate an object to maim. He picked up a football that was lying on his floor and tossed it hard at the wall. The football hit the wall hard and broke clean through the first layer, leaving it sticking out of the wall. Feeling the anger weighing him down more than ever, Kevin slowly walked across his room, his eyes desperately searching for something more. He spotted a stack of magazines that he had stacked beside his bed, and he quickly ran over to the them. He picked up the stack of magazines and began throwing them all over his room, sometimes stopping to tear a few pages out of one before moving onto the next magazine, as soon as the stack of magazines ran dry, he began to breath heavily and slowly survey the wreckage of his room. He stumbled over to his desk, his breathing becoming labored as his anger began to simmer down. He gripped the wooden chair that sat in front of his desk for support, not knowing if he could stand on his own.

"My life... is over..." Kevin lamented in between pants, his grip on the chair tightening as his need for its support grew greater. The room felt like it was spinning around him, and he was afraid his knees would buckle at any moment. He felt so sapped of energy, but he still felt the need to vent his anger. The house was like a tool for him to do so, every object in the house, even the house itself, being a vessel in which to store his bottled up rage. As these thoughts swarmed around in his head, an eerie silence suddenly fell over the house, as if all the air had been sucked out. Kevin stopped breathing and listened closely, not understanding why this strange absence of sound had suddenly occurred. "What the heck..." he muttered as the house suddenly began creaking. It sounded as if there were millions of rats scurrying behind the walls, or even termites eating at the very wooden foundation that held the house together. His eyes moved around the room, his gaze following the creaking sounds as they dashed behind the thin walls of his house. The noises suddenly stopped, leaving Kevin to stand there in bewilderment. Everything seemed to return to normal, but a strange feeling hung around in the air. Kevin suddenly felt his hairs stand on end, the feeling of being watched resurfacing.

"Whoa!" Kevin cried as the chair he was leaning on suddenly slid out from beneath his desk, causing him to fall forward. He banged his forehead on the edge of the desk and fell to the ground. His face hit the soft carpeting of his room, and a single moan of pain issued forth from his throat as he brought his hand up to his forehead. He touched it lightly, but quickly brought it away when a surge of pain shot through it. He didn't understand what had happened; if he didn't know any better, he would say that the chair had moved on its own. He flipped over and stared up at the ceiling, which was blurry and out of focus. His eyes widened when he heard a creaking sound. "No way..." he whispered as he realized that his desk was beginning to lean forward, as if someone was pushing it over. But as he could clearly see, there was no one there; it was doing it on its own! He heard the sound of several things rolling across the desk, and realized that it was all of his pencils slowly coming toward the edge of the desk.

"Crap!" Kevin called out as he tried to roll out of the way of half a dozen pencils that suddenly rolled over the edge. The pencils, which pointed straight down as they fell, hit his back as he rolled over, jabbing him all over before bouncing off and landing on the floor. Ignoring the searing pain in his head and back, he climbed to his feet in a daze. He stumbled backwards and toward his bed; he put his hand behind him and caught himself on the edge of his bed, using it as support in order to stay on his feet. He didn't understand what had just happened, but he knew it might've been an earthquake or something.

"What the-" Kevin shouted as he felt his bed slide forward, hitting him in the back of the legs and causing him to fall backwards onto it. He tried to jump back off of his bed, but his bedsheets suddenly wrapped themselves around him, smothering him in a soft darkness. "Get off of me!" he screeched as he began to writhe around in the bedsheets, trying to free himself from their seeming attack. He could feel the bedsheets slowly wrapping around him, as if they were trying to crush him in some kind of vice grip. He suddenly felt like he was being suffocated, the bedsheets wrapping around his face and mouth.

Kevin's survival instincts kicked in, and he renewed his effort to escape the killer bedsheets. He began to flail his arms around, rapidly pushing the bedsheets away before they could continue their assault. Seeing an opening, he ripped out of the bedsheets and scrambled away from his bed before whirling around to face it. He was breathing heavily as he stared at the bed, which was now calm and unmoving. He didn't understand what was going on, but he wasn't about to stick around and find out. He turned to his door and threw it open before running into the hallway. He quickly dashed down the hallway and toward the kitchen, hoping to escape through the glass door that led to his backyard. He dashed into the kitchen but felt himself fly forward when he stepped on top of a broken chair leg that was lying right by the entrance. He narrowly avoided landing in the splintered wreck of the kitchen table and managed to catch himself before he could crash into the tiled floor of the kitchen.

He quickly scrambled to his feet and ran toward the glass door at the back of the kitchen. He grabbed hold of the handle and began to pull on it, but the glass door refused to slide open. "Open, dang it!" Kevin yelled as he tried to pull it open with all his might. No matter how hard he tried, the door wouldn't open. Realizing that his efforts to open the door conventionally were fruitless, he turned around looked down at the three kitchen chairs that were still intact. Thinking quickly, he grabbed one of the chairs and turned back to the glass door. He lifted the chair above his head and then tossed it at the backdoor, hoping to break through it and make an exit. To his surprise, the kitchen chair exploded on the glass door, sending splinters and shards of wood flying everywhere. Kevin covered his face with his arms as pieces of wood hit him; it almost felt like someone was punching him as pieces of wood rained down on his body. He uncovered his face and looked at the kitchen door, his mouth hanging open in disbelief: the chair hadn't damaged the glass door at all.

"What is going on?!" Kevin cried, his brain unable to process exactly what was happening. He whirled around when he heard something shaking behind him, and his eyes widened in horror when he saw that the knife block that was sitting on the counter was rattling by itself. "Oh no..." he uttered as the knife block suddenly fell forward and hit the counter, sending knifes flying out of the knife block and straight at him. He turned and dived away, several of the knives grazing his arms and back as they whizzed by him. He landed on the tile floor and began to crawl toward the entrance to the living room.

Kevin could feel blood running down his back and oozing out of his arms, every cut stinging like hell. He realized he needed to get to the bathroom and get some of the gauze that his parents kept in case of emergencies. He climbed to his feet as fast as he could, the realization that he was losing blood giving him a sense of urgency. As he stumbled toward the living room, he heard a great groan issue from his right, causing him to turn his head in fear. Before he could even react, the refrigerator tipped forward and began to fall toward him. "No!" he yelped as he tried to get away from it. The refrigerator landed on his right foot, causing him to howl in pain.

"Augh!" he growled as he tried to pull his foot out from under the refrigerator, which seemed to have some sort of supernatural force pushing down on it, stopping him from removing his flattened foot. He grabbed his leg and tugged on it with all the strength he could muster, every fiber of his being begging him to save his foot from the crushing weight of the refrigerator. He gasped in relief as he finally managed to pull his foot free. He stumbled backwards before quickly resuming his course to the living room, his progress now slower due to his injured foot. He had to get the gauze, or maybe even to some simple bandages. He had to stop the bleeding, the pain, the hurt. As he walked into the kitchen, the shattered picture frames on the wall began to rattle. "No... no, not again!" he cried as he tried to run away from the picture frames. He had to drag his right foot behind him, which he found that he just couldn't bear to walk on any longer. He ducked and weaved as the picture frames began flying off of the wall and right at him, each of them homing in on every vulnerable part of his body. He narrowly dodged most of them, but the last picture frame hit his cheek, leaving a harsh and jagged cut that quickly erupted with blood.

"Make it stop!" he yelled at nothing as he began to scramble madly toward the bathroom. He heard the television pop and hiss as he finally reached the hallway, and he turned his head to look at it. His twitching and blurry eyes watched as it hummed to life, static erupting on its screen. He covered his ears when the hissing noise that was emanating reached a high pitched screech; it almost sounded like a human screaming bloody murder. Kevin dived into the hallway and to safety as the the screen on the television exploded, sending shards of glass showering all over the living room. His mind screamed at him to forget about the insane things that were going on around him and simply focus on getting to the medical supplies. He had to reach them, he had to save himself before this crazy house got him. His body cranked into overdrive, forcing him to stand to his feet as adrenaline began to pump full force into his veins. He could see the light of the bathroom spilling out not too far down the hallway. He was close now, but his mind continued to yell at him, ordering him to get the gauze, the bandages, the cotton swabs, anything that he could get to stop the bleeding. He gripped the door frame of the bathroom and slowly pulled himself around the corner, his eyes quickly searching the bright and sterile room for the medical supplies.

"No... no... no!" Kevin cried when he realized the medical supplies were no where to be found. He stepped further into the bathroom, his hand shooting out and gripping the bathroom sink for support. He continued to walk into the bathroom, his hand sliding across the sink and leaving a trail of blood. He jumped a little when the toilet suddenly flushed by itself. He stood there for a moment listening to the sound of sloshing water before his mind suddenly exploded with a single thought. He rushed toward the toilet and looked down into the bowl, and his entire body began to tremble with terror. The gauze, the bandages, the cotton swabs, all of it was being flushed down the toilet! "Please no!" he shouted as he fell to his knees and put his hands down into the toilet, his fingers desperately trying to wrap around at least a single roll of gauze. He withdrew his hands from the toilet when he realized it was too late: it had already all gone down. "Darn you!" he cursed before shooting up to his feet, the entire bathroom spinning around him. He didn't deserve this, any of it. Why was this happening to him? What had he done? He didn't want to understand how it was happening, just why it was happening to him. He had already gone through hell this week, he didn't need this!

Kevin's train of thought suddenly screeched to a halt when he heard something click. A buzzing sound suddenly filled the bathroom, and his eyes widened when he realized what it was. His head slowly turned toward the bathroom sink, and he couldn't help but let a gasp escape his lips when he saw it. It moved back and forth above the sink like a cobra ready to strike, its sharp fangs pointed at him and buzzing with a fury that matched Kevin's own. It was his dad's electric razor. Kevin's bottom lip began to tremble as he started to back away from the whirring instrument, hoping it would just leave him alone. The electric razor hissed as it moved to block Kevin's escape, quickly moving in front of the doorway that led out to the hallway. Kevin's eyes followed the cord that was attached to the electric razor, and he saw that it was plugged into the outlet next to the sink. He had one shot; he couldn't screw this up, or that electric razor would add new wounds to his already grievous injuries.

Kevin steeled himself and then leaped toward the outlet, his hand outstretched toward it. "Ah!" he yelped when the electric razor lashed out and dug its fangs into the side of his hand, causing him to pull away in pain. He stared down at his trembling hand, which was soaked in blood. "You... you... how... I..." he began to babble incoherently as he backed away from the razor and toward the bathtub. He was beginning to feel lightheaded from blood loss, and he knew he couldn't keep this up much longer. He had to escape from this hell house before it took his life. He suddenly dashed forward and toward the doorway, hoping to slip past the electric razor and out into the hallway. "Gaw!" he uttered as the electric razor suddenly winded around him and wrapped its cord around his neck, pulling him back into the bathroom with a supernatural strength. Kevin stumbled backwards and he felt his lower back hit the sink as the electric razor reared around and stared him down, tightening its grip on his throat.

The electric razor suddenly dove for Kevin's throat, and he shot his hands out and grabbed it, stopping it just inches from his exposed neck. "I won't... let you..." he sputtered out as he barely managed to hold the electric razor at bay. It writhed in his hands like an enraged snake, desperately trying to free itself from his gasp and sate its bloodlust. It buzzed louder and louder as it wriggled around more and more, almost slipping out of his grip as its long black cord tightened around his neck more and more. Kevin took one of his hands off of the electric razor and stuck it out toward the outlet, hoping to rip it out and cut off the killer razor's only source of power. His fingers grazed the cord that was near the end of the plug, and the electric razor tried to strike at Kevin's chest and face, wanting to prevent the dizzy and desperate boy from completing his mission; he barely managed to hold it back, his single hand having just enough strength left to hold it at bay. An insane smile spread across Kevin's face as he felt his fingers wrap around the cord near the outlet. He yanked it with all his might, and the plug came sailing out of the socket. His smile disappeared, however, when the buzzing of the electric razor didn't stop.

"No, it's not possible!" Kevin sputtered out as he gripped the electric razor with both hands again. It didn't have power, it should've stopped moving! But it was still coming at him, still desperate to get at his blood! It wanted his blood, it wanted to see him die! "It's... it's not fair!" he managed to get out as tears began to spill down his face. The electric razor paid the salty rivers no mind and swooped toward his chest. Kevin cried in pain as it raked across his chest, tearing his shirt and creating a deep trench that spouted blood. He pulled it back, keeping it from doing anymore damage. He could feel blood running down his belly, and he could feel it building up in his throat. But the electric razor wouldn't stop until he was gone. It wanted his life, his soul, his everything. Before Kevin could continue his struggle with the bloodthirsty razor, the bathroom mirror began to shake and rattle behind him. He started to turn around, but before he could take a look at his blood soaked reflection, the mirror exploded into millions of pieces, sending shards of glass flying at Kevin. They cut his skin and shredded his clothes and hat, causing him to reel backwards and slide up against the wall, his hands barely holding the electric razor back. He stumbled across the bathroom, the electric razor seeing an opening and trying its best to take advantage of it.

Kevin's legs suddenly hit the edge of the bathtub, and he fell down into it, the electric razor diving in after him. He grabbed it once again with his hands and stopped it from continuing its assault. He couldn't keep this up. He could feel his strength draining away as the blood flowed out of every gash in his body and ran down the drain. This was it, this was the end. The electric razor squeezed his neck with its black cord, which was soaked in Kevin's blood. His vision was flickering on and off, the writhing electric razor in his hand nothing more than a shapeless blob to him. Blood leaked out of Kevin's mouth as he tried to say something, the electric razor slowly overpowering him and moving toward his neck. "Nazz..." he managed to sputter out as he felt the electric razor slip free of his hands, which fell limply at his sides. The electric razor dove toward his neck and Kevin closed his eyes, letting the darkness engulf him.

* * *

Red and blue lights danced across every house in the cul-de-sac. Several police cars and an ambulance were parked around a house near the neck of the cul-de-sac. The door to the house was ajar, and yellow police tape was wrapped around the entire house, preventing anyone but a select few from going inside. The inside of the house looked as if it had been hit by a natural disaster; chairs were overturned, tables were cracked into splinters, and even the television had apparently been shattered. Shards of glass and small wooden splinters littered every square inch of the house, and the walls were torn and cut in places were knifes and picture frames had smashed harshly into them. The true nightmare, however, laid further in the house, in a particular blood soaked bathroom.

_Even with the encouragement of his friend Nazz, Kevin couldn't learn to bottle his anger inside, no matter how hard he tried. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he truly did want to find a way to pen up his anger. Despite this, he found that abusing inanimate and nonliving objects sated his anger and allowed him to release it without consequences. In the last waking moments of his life, however, Kevin realized that even inanimate objects can feel, and that what they felt most of all was hatred. And in The Twilight Zone, this hatred can drive the very house that one lives in to murder._

Eight kids were all outside of Nazz's house, all of their eyes, save for one's, locked onto Kevin's house, which was swarming with police officers and paramedics. Rolf held his clam Bobo close to his side, hoping its hard shell and soft gurgling would help ease the pain of his loss. Jonny felt tears slide down his cheeks as he stared blankly at Kevin's house, the salty droplets falling down onto Plank, who he held like a baby in his arms. Sarah and Jimmy held each other tightly, both of them hoping to find support in the warmth of the other's embrace. The Eds all stood side by side, each of their faces filled with guilt and shame at Kevin's passing, the three of them each blaming themselves for causing this to happen. Nazz sat on her porch, her eyes locked not on Kevin's house but on a five page paper that she held in her trembling hands. At the top of the paper were big bold letters that read "My Best Friend Kevin". Even after Kevin had hit her, she had driven herself to finish it at school, a sliver of hope still within her that he would get better. But now it was all over. And she felt like she had no one but herself to blame for Kevin's _suicide_.


End file.
